The Coward's Way
by httydfangirl123
Summary: The Riders seem to be winning in their war against Viggo Grimborn and the Dragon Hunters, which would be a reason to celebrate if it weren't for the fact that it was so strangely easy. And that's not the only mystery that the gang have to solve as Hiccup suddenly starts acting worryingly off. And that's only the start of their problems. RTTE S4. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Long time, no see! So I think the first thing I should say is sorry for not publishing in *counts the months* *grins sheepishly*... five months. I've missed you guys! School and other activities kept me so busy these past months, and in the one week I didn't have school I got sick so couldn't work on my writing. But yes, I am back now, just started my Christmas break and you can expect this story to be regularly updated for the next two weeks :) This story is a bit different from what I normally do, and I'm also a little out-of-the-flow in terms of my normal writing, but I am proud of this idea and I hope you like this story just as much as you have the previous ones! I normally write stories that start with action and a hook within the first chapter, but this one, as I said, is a bit different and has a slower start, but once you get to the third chapter you can expect my signature dragon riding action... and maybe some whump too... ;) I know you guys love that. Anyway, I could ramble on for hours, but I think you probably just want to read this chapter so I'll let you. Pleeeaaassee leave a review, you guys know those make my day and give me the motivation to write when I'm lacking it.**

 **Anyway, enjoy... :)**

* * *

"Ruff, Tuff-"

"The catapults, we know!" The twins shouted back as they circled the fleet Viggo had been using to capture dragons flying near Dragon's Edge.

"Astrid – "

"The archers, on it!"

"Fishlegs, can you – "

"Engage the flanking ships, on my way!"

"Snotlout – "

"I'll cover you, let's go!" Everyone flew into action, following a plan they had gone through many times for fleets like these. Everything was going perfectly, or as the twins would put it 'as smoothly as a warm knife through yak butter'. Oh, Thor… why was he thinking of that at a time like this?

Toothless dived towards the cleared deck, roaring proudly at the cowering soldiers. Hiccup jumped off this back and straight into the hole that led to the dragon cages. He rushed up to the first cage that contained an angry Nightmare, examined the lock and pulled out the keys Astrid had stolen from one of the guards. Within seconds he was dodging the rampage of dragons that stormed towards the daylight that streamed down into the gloomy ship. He smiled, feeling a swell of pride in his heart as he heard the dragons' roar of freedom.

"Ready to go?" Snotlout shouted from up on deck.

"Yup, let's head home," He said, grabbing Snotlout's arm as he was pulled back up into the sunlight. He jumped onto Toothless as they took to the air, leaving the gawking Hunters behind.

Hiccup looked behind him as the Riders finished the job they'd been working at for… he didn't even know how long. They'd been winning rather a lot over the past few weeks. It was almost as if Viggo had run out of ideas for attacks… but he knew that wasn't the case. His enemy had probably just thought of something and was just waiting for the right time to put his plan into action. Or Viggo was trying to make them drop their guard… Which was really worrying him. And why his facial expression wasn't as joyous as the others as they flew back from their most recent victory. It just didn't seem right… and he didn't know why, which frustrated him. It was as if Ryker had taken over and decided to use brute force the whole time, which made outsmarting his Hunters ridiculously easy. _What's his next move? And when will he strike? Will we be ready? Are the other Riders still on guard? Are we going to win this next battle?_ Those were the questions that had been bugging him for hours now.

"Hey, you alright?" He heard Astrid's voice, and he turned to see her concern-filled eyes looking into his.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," Hiccup replied.

"About what? We're winning, Hiccup. How hard is that to think about?" She replied, slightly bewildered.

"This just isn't like Viggo, Astrid. None of these small attacks are. They're all so simple, easy to outsmart… at least, _easier._ I don't have to spend hours thinking about our parry, we can just fly into battle, think of a plan and we carry it out with little consequences. But Viggo wouldn't do that, he would-"

"Hiccup, don't worry. Relax! At the moment, we're winning. Let's just focus on what we're doing right now," Astrid smiled at her boyfriend comfortingly.

"And what are we doing right now?" Hiccup couldn't help but smile back at those gorgeous sapphire eyes and pink lips that curved upwards.

"Going back to the Edge before it goes dark, and then we can eat something. I'm fed up with listening to Snotlout complaining,"

"Hey! A warrior needs his food, especially when he's regularly going into battle. So me and Hookfang, obviously the best warriors in our group, should be eating more often than we are now!" Came Snotlout's shout of protest.

"Pffff best warrior? Someone's taken a few too many dragon root arrows to the head!" Tuff replied, nudging his twin sister teasingly.

"Yeah, everyone knows that the Nuts are the best fighters of the group," Ruffnut concurred.

"The best at being nuts, maybe. Best fighters? Eeehhhh! How can two lunatic twins and a two-headed dragon beat 5,000 pounds of flaming muscle?" Snotlout countered, snickering.

"Guys, are we seriously arguing about this?" Hiccup attempted to interrupt.

"With our massive intellect and hard skulls, obviously," Tuffnut bickered, knocking his head and completely ignoring Hiccup's endeavour to break up the argument that was quickly escalating and spiralling out of control.

"Hey, but what about Meatlug and I? We have something to add to the group!" Fishlegs called out, facial expression portraying how offended he felt.

"And what, Fishface, could you add to our group?" Snotlout taunted, making an exaggerated pouty face.

"Well, for starters, Meatlug is the only dragon immune to dragon root-" He started, putting up his fingers to indicate the start of a list.

"Blah blah blah! That's nothing! Well, at least not compared to this giant Nightmare gel making machine!" Hiccup sighed.

"I think I'll spend the night in my hut," Hiccup muttered, on the brink of being fed up with his friends, however nice they could be.

"Nah-uh, not today Hiccup Haddock. You're eating dinner with us. As much as I hate to admit it, Snotlout is right. At least, he was right when he said that a warrior needs his food. And right now, you are both a warrior and a worrier, which leaves even more reason that you should join us for dinner." Astrid reasoned. "Besides, I can keep them under control, then after dinner, we can hang out."

"Alright, milady," He sighed, smiling at his girlfriend as the Edge appeared on the horizon.

* * *

The sound of laughter abounded in the clubhouse as the food slowly disappeared down the Riders' throats and into their empty stomachs. But smiles were soon replaced with yawns as the satisfaction of the meal set in. While the other Riders drifted off, heads on the table, Astrid tugged on Hiccup's elbow to beckon him out. The couple ambled out of the hut and into the cool dusk.

"So that wasn't so bad now, was it?" Astrid smirked, nudging Hiccup teasingly.

"No, no, you're right. I laughed a lot," He admitted.

"How about our alone time now?"

"Sure, let me just dump all my weapons and bags in my hut, then I'll meet you on the cliff." Hiccup nodded, beaming.

"Good idea, I also want to leave my axe in my hut. See you there!" Astrid called back, running off towards her hut. She was glad that Hiccup had lightened up about the battles. He _did_ have a point though… it was weird and not at all like the Viggo that tricked them into giving him the Flightmare, the Eruptedon… But it wasn't worth getting worked up about. They just had to be alert and prepared for when Viggo would strike, which was imminent. She ambled into her hut, propping her axe up in the usual place, before taking a sip of water. She pulled the loop of twine out of her hair, letting it cascade past her shoulders before starting to re-braid it. _**Bang!**_ A loud noise a lot like an explosion alerted her. Out of instinct, she dropped her hair, hardly noticing that it was loose and swaying as she ran, swearing she would kill the twins. She grabbed her axe and jumped onto her startled dragon, who had been resting peacefully after the battle.

"We need to go, girl," She muttered, just loud enough for Stormfly to hear. She looked in the direction the noise had come from… _Hiccup's hut._ She gasped quietly, her brain switching gears from dealing with the twins to warding off an enemy. Trying not to dwell on what could be going on, her mind was fully alert and ready to take on an attacker. _Oh, no you don't Viggo!_ She jumped off the scaly reptile's back the second her talons hit the ground, flinging the door open and scanning the lower room within seconds. Nothing. Excluding the fact that his desk had toppled over and papers were scattered all over the floor, everything was as it should be. She looked up to the bedroom, where Hiccup appeared to be trying to gain his balance and stand upright. Toothless stood on the other side of the bed looking bewildered and angry. Hiccup gave a sheepish laugh as he glanced at the female Viking.

"What in the name of Thor are you doing?"

"Uh… uh, me?" He stuttered, glancing between her and the Night Fury that was glaring at him. _What is going on? One moment everything's fine, the next everything is wrong. Why is Toothless growling at Hiccup? Why is Hiccup so nervous? And why does it look like he was getting into bed?_

"Yes, you! What are you doing?" She shouted, somehow enraged by the confusion.

"I was, er... I was going to bed," He stuttered, gesturing to the piece of furniture.

"You were what?!" Astrid exclaimed, her entire face going from its natural pale shade to a cherry pink.

"I was going to bed," Hiccup replied, glancing between the dragon and the female warrior as if asking _what's wrong with that?_

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" Astrid screamed, not sure whether to be worried, confused or angry.

"You can also go to bed...?" He stuttered, limping towards his bed and awkwardly falling onto it. Toothless continued to growl, scowling as he curled up on the floor. Astrid's eyes widened at his utter forgetfulness, then narrowed them again as she threw her axe into the wooden wall.

"You insolent muttonhead!" And with that, she stormed out.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for checking in on my first chapter, please leave a review and hopefully I'll see you on the next one, which should be up soon. See ya!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Helloooo again! A few of you guys have been asking what the noise was. So to answer ThePhoenixGhirl, Romantica123 and anyone else who wants to know... I'm not going to tell you. But it _will_ be revealed in the coming two chapters. You'll see... Onto shoutouts:**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **Thank you, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Romantica 123:** **XD You shall see. And yes, please don't hyperventilate or anything. And yes, maybe Hiccup should be careful ;)**

 **Angel Talon:** **LOL that would be interesting XD**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** ***cackles in the distance***

 **Jokermask18:** **Thanks :)**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter ;)**

* * *

It was only once the sun had risen and Astrid was about to head for the Clubhouse for breakfast that she realised her axe was still wedged in the wall of Hiccup's hut. She grunted in frustration, not in the mood for going back to her insolent boyfriend's residence. _He has to apologise for forgetting first. Until then, I'm not talking to him. Because what kind of a muttonhead boyfriend agrees to meet you and ten seconds later abandons you to go to bed?_ She understood that he was tired, but this was ridiculous. He could have just _told_ her he was too tired to hang out, and everything would have been fine. _But if I have to wait for him, I won't have my axe with me… Ugh!_ She paced on the platform outside her hut, not sure what to do with her dilemma as Stormfly looked at her in curiosity. _But then again, he might not even be home. Thor knows how often he takes early morning flights or goes out to do this and that…_ She decided to go to his hut to check.

"Morning girl, let's get my axe back," She muttered to her dragon, who squawked fondly in reply. The pair took off, looking over the sunlit sea and the shadows of the sea stacks on the water before Stormfly swooped down to land on the platform outside Hiccup's hut. Astrid jumped off her back, feet landing on the wood with a thud. She stood silently for a minute, trying to figure out if she wanted him to be home or not. _I hope he runs out now to apologise…_ she found herself thinking. _But apart from that, I don't want to see him._ She remained motionless for a few more seconds, before deciding he wasn't coming and placed her ear on the wall.

Nothing. She pulled on the metal lever, watching as the door opened and revealed the messy, dark hut. He wasn't home and neither was Toothless, that was for sure. But what she didn't understand was why the desk hadn't been tidied up yet. The piece of furniture was still on its side, and cogs and mechanic parts lay scattered on the floor, alongside the sheets of parchment. That wasn't like him. He would've cleared it up. She ambled into the hut, the sun that entered through the opening of the door being the only source of light for her. She spotted her axe immediately, and started stepping over papers and cogs to get there. By Thor, she was lucky she hadn't tripped up in her rage last night. And on second glance she noticed brown footprints on some of the sheets. She finally made it to the wall, where she pulled out her axe and started walking back towards the door, when a deafening roar that could only come from a Night Fury made her jump, her foot hitting one of the metal parts and causing her to stumble. Stormfly looked at her human in concern as she face-planted outside the door.

"As if this day couldn't get any better…" She grumbled, mounting the Deadly Nadder, sheathing her axe and flying off to the dome where the roar came from. The wind in her hair did little to calm her down as she landed, seeing Hiccup leaning against Toothless while sharpening his knife… _First off, why is he sharpening his knife? And why is Toothless_ _ **still**_ _growling at him? And what is so wrong that he roared so loudly?_ She jumped off her dragon and walked into the circular area with her axe.

"What was that noise?" She asked, hands on her hips, also half waiting for an apology for last night. But his expression remained emotionless, and when he looked up at her his face was blank.

"What noise?"

"You know, the deafening sound of a Night Fury roar that could wake up a Foreverwing?" Hiccup stole a quick nervous glance at his dragon before looking back up at the maiden.

"I didn't hear it," He mumbled, just loud enough to hear, but telling by the Night Fury's indignant huff, it wasn't the whole truth.

"What is going on with you?" She raised her voice, feeling anger and exasperation build up in her just like last night. Hiccup looked back up from his knife, which was gleaming and sharp by now, and shrugged his shoulders. A silence fell, which Toothless filled by growling at the Rider. Astrid took a deep breath in, trying not to lose her temper. She walked over and sat next to him, hoping to get a warm response, a sad smile to show how he was feeling, a sigh followed by an apology, anything that would give her a glimpse of the Hiccup she knew and loved. She was starting to miss him, she realised. Starting to miss the person sitting next to her, just because he had been acting strangely for 12 hours or so. _What is going on with me? And more importantly, what is going on with him?_

"Are you alright?" She asked calmly, hoping she could make him open up. But once again, he just nodded, emotionless.

"I'm fine,"

"But Hiccup, what are we going to do-"

"GOOD MORNING DRAGON'S EDGE!" Came a loud voice from the sky as Ruff and Tuff descended from where they stood on the back of their flying dragon. They strolled into the dome, standing tall and proud as if they were addressing their subjects. The male twin then approached Astrid enthusiastically.

"Astrid, I think-"

"Whatever you're about to say, I disagree." Astrid snapped, much more concerned about her boyfriend than the twins' stupid ideas.

"What a way to kill a morning good mood," He grumbled, face falling as he walked back to his dragon.

"Talking of morning mood," Ruffnut giggling, referring to the look of tiredness and grumpiness displayed on Snotlout's face as he flew down on Hookfang. Astrid rolled her eyes at them, glancing at Hiccup, who seemed to be paying no attention to what was going on around them.

"Hiccup, I think we all want to know what we're going to do about these attacks from Viggo. You had a point yesterday when you said it wasn't like him. But what's the plan?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh... maybe we should just hold off for a bit and see what Viggo decides to do. At the moment all he's doing is losing dragons, so he's bound to make a calculated move soon. We'll wait for that." Astrid made a face.

"Uh... excuse me if I'm getting the wrong idea, but aren't we supposed to be getting one step ahead of Viggo instead of letting him do whatever he wants?" Tuffnut commented, eyes narrowed.

"What if we can't get one step ahead though?"

"Are you saying you've lost hope?" Astrid asked, concern growing every second.

"No, I'm saying that we have to consider the possibility that we can't do anything yet," Hiccup replied, putting the knife and the stone down and looking up. Astrid frowned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked.

"Yeah,"

"You don't look it," He sighed, causing a spark of hope in Astrid that he might finally be opening up.

"I'm just a bit tired, Astrid that's all," Astrid nodded comfortingly, despite being completely unconvinced. But she decided to let him rest before questioning him. She would get to the bottom of this later.

"Go have a nap then. We can discuss more about Viggo tomorrow, right now you need to rest. Meet me this afternoon on the cliff," She replied firmly. Hiccup nodded, standing up and flying off on Toothless.

"What's up with him?" Snotlout asked the minute their leader was gone.

"Yeah, like he's totally lost his 'we have to be one step ahead of Viggo' motivational thing," Ruffnut said, also puzzled.

"I don't know. Yesterday we arranged to meet up and next thing I knew there was a loud noise, he knocked over his desk and went to bed. His hut is an absolute mess," Astrid added, forehead furrowed in thought. "I'm going to ask him what's wrong later, and he'd better open up," She sighed. "But I guess until then we take the day off. Enjoy the day, gang!" The group dispersed, Hookfang and Snotlout flying grumpily back to their hut, Fishlegs heading towards the beach and the twins snickering as they flew off to Thor-knows-where. Astrid sighed, feeling bored already. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Astrid sat on the cliff later that day, sharpening her axe next to Stormfly. She was almost doubting that Hiccup would show up. _I mean, after all the weird things that have happened recently, I wouldn't be surprised..._

"Astrid!" Came a voice, followed by the sound of a Night Fury's wings beating. Toothless landed next to her, and Hiccup clumsily got off and walked over to her, subtly limping. Astrid smiled at him, trying to ignore his limp and all the other worries she felt for him.

"Hey, babe," She replied as he sat next to her, feet dangling over the side of the rocks. "How are you feeling now?" He shrugged.

"Better, I guess," He looked at the ground, avoiding her gaze.

"But you weren't just tired,"

"What do you mean?" He peered up at her, meeting her gaze with timid eyes.

"There's something else bothering you, or else you wouldn't be acting like this," She edged closer to him, taking his hand in hers and pulling it onto her lap. But he didn't react, simply looking out towards the horizon emptily.

"Nothing's wrong, really. Maybe I'm thinking too much about Viggo, I don't know,"

"Well, have you thought of anything yet?" She pressed on, squeezing his hand encouragingly. He shook his head sadly, turning to him. They stared at each other for a few seconds as she watched his facial expression falter. He quickly turned away and stared at his prosethetic leg.

"You will eventually," She replied, still trying to connect with him, because at that moment it felt like her words were just like fire on Dragon-proof metal. Hiccup grunted in reply, not really engaging.

"No, Hiccup, listen to me. You _will_ ," She lifted her hand to his chin and turned his head to face her. "I know you will," She leaned forward to kiss him like the many times they had before, her lips pressing against his motionless mouth. She continued to kiss him, waiting for him to kiss back... but he didn't. It took a few seconds, and when his lips starting moving they were hesitant, scared. _Like his 15-year-old self would be..._ Astrid pulled back in surprise. _Why is he rejecting my affection?_ She looked up into his brown eyes searching for an answer, but they didn't contain the light she was used to. _Wait. Brown eyes?! Hiccup has green eyes._ She stared into his eyes again, praying she was just mistaken. But his eyes gleemed with chestnut brown pigment. She opened her mouth in confusion, taken aback. She studied his face, noticing how his features looked slightly different. She remembered his limp, Toothless' hostility, his out-of characterness, his hesitancy to kiss her.

"Who are you?" She asked, eyes narrowing. This time it was Hiccup who looked taken-aback.

"I'm Hiccup. Isn't that obvious?" He replied. _His voice, it's also different. He wouldn't say that._

"No you're not," She argued.

"Yes I am," He said adamantly, clearly getting defensive. She shook her head. _Hiccup wouldn't say that. 'Astrid, snap out of it, it's me' something like that, not this... But how?_

"Who are you really?" Astrid raised her voice, anger filling her. Where was her boyfriend? What had this horrid imposter done to him?

"I'm Hiccup!" His voice also rising.

"Tell me something about him. Something about his past. What happened on Thaw Fest 4 years ago? He and Snotlout?" She shouted, already referring to Hiccup in the third person. The imposter cowered at her anger, expression displaying his cluelessness on the topic.

"I thought so. Who are you? Don't try and convince me you're him. What have you done to him?" Astrid's eyes were ablaze with worry and anger. The boy hesitated, mouth moving but no words emerging.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HICCUP?" She stood up, towering over him as she demanded an answer. She reached for her axe, pushing him to the ground and holding her axe to his neck. She heard growls, and looked up to see Toothless and Stormly growling at him in a defensive stance. She stared into his eyes again, pressing the axe into his throat slowly and gently but enough to make him crack. He gulped, then spoke with a distinct Northern accent.

"I work for Viggo Grimborn."

* * *

 **A/N: *cackles even louder* Didn't see that coming did you? ;) This is going to get interesting...**

 **Anyway, please leave me a review to let me know what you thought, everything (within reason) is appreciated. And I will see you in a few days for the next chapter ;)**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hellooooo! It's almost Christmas (or maybe it's already Christmas by the time some of you read this)! So merry Christmas to those who celebrate it!**

 **To answer reviews:**

 **CoverGirl7210: Good detective skills! And yes, I guess the story is coming along quickly. I'm quite a fast-paced person in several aspects, I talk fast, I walk fast and I write fast-paced stories. I struggle to 'drag things out' (that phrase seems much more negative than I mean it to be, sometimes it can be an amazing element to a story) so that's why, I guess. But I'm glad you're enjoying it. And yes, we will see the real Hiccup this chapter ;)**

 **IAmHelenOfTroy: I think FanFiction is glitching, because your review appears to be on the 3rd chapter, which is non-existent until this is up... ;/ Unless you've been hacking... 0_o Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)**

 **Jokermask18:** **Yes, it was quite a quick revelation. As I said to CoverGirl7210, I find it hard to make things like this a lot longer.**

 **Angel** **Talon:** **Yup, or at least, they'll have to try ;)**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **Yup, and yup ;) Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it :)**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **You also have good detection skills ;) And about that, I did consider making the lookalike Viggo's son at one point, but for some reason, I don't like the thought of him having an out-of-the-picture wife. I don't know why... And also that would change a few things in the plot line, so I ended up not doing that. It would have been interesting though! :) And we shall see what's happened to Hiccup...**

 **Romantica 123:** **Yes, what _did_ I do to him? That is a very question, one that this chapter will answer :) And thank you for the compliment, I hope you survived! :D**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Thanks, hope you enjoy!**

 **Ok, onto the chapter!**

* * *

"Say that again," Her mind was in denial. _No... nonono, it can't be. He's bluffing._ The imposter hesitated, glancing between the dragons and fierce female warrior that stood over her.

"I-I work for Viggo Grimborn." _You let a stranger take the place of your boyfriend. You let Viggo take him and get away with it. You let this guy play with your emotions._ Her axe fell to the ground, landing harmlessly beside the imposter as she covered her face with her palms in shock. _So that noise was Hiccup's kidnapping! No wonder I missed Hiccup, he wasn't even there for the love of Thor! He tried to call off the counterattack, could've made us lose the war if we hadn't noticed!_

Astrid paused for a moment, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. _That bastard had better bring us to Hiccup._ Her heart was pumping like the sound of a stampede, her hands shook with anger and worry. She looked up, noticing that the imposter was running away in the direction of the forest. _Oh no, you don't!_ It only took two milliseconds for her axe to be in her hand. She threw it at him, letting out a furious battle cry as she did, causing him to look back and dodge the weapon just in time. Without needing further instruction, Toothless and Stormfly fired at their new adversary, causing him to stumble as the ground around him exploded.

"Astrid!" She heard Fishlegs' voice as the rest of the gang flew towards her.

"What in the name of Thor is going on?" Snotlout demanded, almost shouting.

"Why is Hiccup running away?" Tuffnut pointed to the figure disappearing into the woods.

"Did you and Hiccup break up?" Ruffnut gasped, a look of absolute horror on her face.

"What did he do?" Snotlout asked, definitely shouting now.

"Why did Toothless and Stormfly shoot at him?" Fishlegs butted in through the commotion.

"THAT'S NOT HICCUP!" Astrid shouted. Silence fell as the whole group glanced between the woods and the angered maiden, mouths open in confusion and shock.

"Looks like Hiccup to me," Tuffnut commented, even though it wasn't possible to see him anymore because of the trees.

"It's an imposter sent by Viggo," The rest of the gang gasped simultaneously.

"What!? How do you know?" Fishlegs spoke the minds of them all.

"Guys, doesn't it make sense? Toothless was growling at him, he was limping the whole time, he didn't seem his normal self. I even got him to admit he worked for Viggo. This guy is not Hiccup," She blurted out in one breath. There was silence again as they took in the new information.

"Wait… so if Hiccup isn't here, then… oh no…" Snotlout muttered.

"And that's why he's going to take us to him," Replied Astrid determinedly, jumping onto Toothless' back and flying off, closely followed by Stormfly and the others. They flew directly towards the forest.

"Go find him, girl," She said to her dragon, who sniffed the air before soaring over the treetops. A minute hadn't even passed before movement could be seen below them.

"There he is!" Snotlout shouted, diving towards the figure running between the trees. Hookfang landed right in front of the boy, causing him to stumble backwards and almost fall over. But he managed to stay on his feet, sprinting to the right until Meatlug stopped him. His expression was becoming more and more panicked, but he took off in another direction nonetheless.

"Oh no, you don't, young man," Tuffnut tutted. The twins almost landed on top of him as Barf and Belch roared and growled ferociously. He backed away into the centre of the circle that was forming around him as Astrid and Toothless filled the final spot and shut him in. His eyes flicked from one dragon to the next in horror, at a loss for what to do as he realised there was no way out, that he had nowhere to run to on this foreign island. That was when Stormfly landed behind him, picking up the boy up by the back of his shirt. He yelped.

"You are taking us to Viggo and Hiccup," Astrid demanded, the tone in her voice making it clear this was a statement, not a question. And despite the imposter's screams of protest, the group took off.

* * *

It had almost been a whole day. At least, judging by the way light was slowly dimming. The other Riders had realised he was missing, right? His muscles ached from inactivity, his tongue was dry from lack of water and he felt physically tired from not doing anything. His wrists were shackled in front of him, a chain linking them to a large bolt in the floor. The moist gag that had been in his mouth during his capture lay on the floor next to him from when he had managed to rip it off. But the worst part was his brain. He hadn't seen Viggo since his initial kidnapping and it was driving him insane. Nothing had happened for almost 24 hours. Nothing but silence and this same old cell, its plain wooden floorboards, dragon-proof door and cold walls. At one point he had shaken his manacles just to give his ears the refreshment of hearing sound. He was wondering how much longer he could take it before he went crazy. What was going on back on the Edge? What was Viggo's plan? What was the point of him sitting here?

It was ironic really, just when he had slightly let his guard down, he got abducted. Typical. But then again, that was Viggo's speciality. Irony. Bringing the opponent down from the inside. Forcing you to be your own downfall. He remembered the moment of horror when he realised Hunters were waiting in his hut. By the gods, they had almost given him a heart attack!

" _See you there!" Astrid called as the pair split up and they ambled towards their huts. Hiccup inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a second and slowing his pace, taking the time to enjoy the moment of peace. The gang had succeeded in calming his worried mind, and he hadn't realised how worked up he'd been until the weight was lifted off his shoulders and he actually started enjoying himself. He opened the door to his hut, his sharp eye catching the sight of his dragon resting upstairs in the darkness._

" _Hey, bud, can you give me some light?" He called into the darkness. No response. "Toothless?" A flicker of worry started in his brain. Was he just exhausted or was there something wrong? He started to make his way up the stairs, the dim light from outside just enough to catch the glimpse of something greenish near the Night Fury. A noise behind him stopped him in his tracks, and he turned around to see the door to his hut closing, plunging him into almost complete darkness._

" _No!" He heard himself shouting, pulse speeding up exponentially as he ran back down the stairs. He reached for the lever, hoping to give himself some light, when a beefy hand harshly grabbed his wrist. His instincts kicked in and he spun around, pulling his wrist from his attacker's grip. He grabbed his sword and ignited it, the fire lighting up the area around him and revealing several Dragon Hunters surrounding him. He growled, muttering some coarse language about Viggo before swinging his sword at the closest Hunter. The force of the parry knocked him backwards and he tumbled onto his desk, knocking it over with a loud bang. Paper and cogs scattered everywhere, raining down on where he lay on the floor. But he couldn't focus on that as Hunters approached him from every direction. He jumped onto his feet just before a mace landed right where he had been lying. His sword met an axe, his prosthetic met a stomach - one down. A mace swung towards him but he dodged, using his free fist to punch him in the face - two down._ Get up to a vantage point! Find out what's wrong with Toothless! Can't get caught! _His mind shouted until that was all he could hear. Three down, four down. There! A clear path. He bolted up the stairs, only just missing the various weapons coming his way. He reached the top, panting and gasping as his sword illuminated the raw pieces of dragon root that surrounded his dragon. He started to clear it away, throwing pieces down the stairs when an arm wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. The flame of his sword singed the material of his trousers as he opened his mouth to protest, but a wad of cloth muffled his voice._

" _Hello, Hiccup," Came Ryker's voice in his ear as another piece of cloth was wrapped around his mouth and tied at the back of his head._

" _We don't have time to talk, Ryker, we could be discovered any second now," Viggo whispered from behind them, with a tone of urgency Hiccup had never heard coming from the Grimborn brother. "Collect the dragon root and get out of here!"_

" _You heard the man!" Ryker barked, clearly struggling to keep his voice down. The whole series of events were going by like a blur for Hiccup, he could hardly keep track of everything that was going on, let alone fight back as he was disarmed and handcuffed. Hunters were running everywhere, holding pieces of dragon root. He wanted to scream, scream for help, scream for safety from the chaos that was going on around him. But all he could comprehend was a skinny, auburn-haired boy walking towards his bed before everything fell to blackness._

He blinked and scene disappeared from before his eyes. The chains jangled as he brought his hand up to his neck to feel his elevated pulse.

"It was quite an excitement, wouldn't you say, Hiccup Haddock?" Viggo spoke from the other side of the cell door, as if he knew exactly what he was thinking about. Hiccup's surprised expression quickly turned to a glare as his enemy stood there smugly, hands held behind his back.

"Made yourself comfortable, I see," He continued, referring to the strewn pieces of gag on the floor. Hiccup pursed his lips. "I hope you don't mind the dragon root we used. Toothless is still safe on the Edge, unlike you." He chuckled proudly. "It was quite an impressive plan, I agree, and it was almost foiled when you so clumsily knocked over your own desk. But don't you worry, I'm sure my slave will handle the situation well and everything will go seamlessly."

"Your slave?" Hiccup questioned, eyes narrowing. _What on earth is he getting at?_

"Oh, haven't I mentioned him?" Viggo faked surprise, thoroughly enjoying this chat. "I was at the slave market a few months ago, because one of my men were convinced that you were on sale. I didn't believe him, really, but it would be interesting nonetheless. As it turns out, my dear Hiccup, you have a lookalike. He looks exactly like you, except he has brown eyes and both of this legs. Oh, pardon me, _had_ both of his legs."

"So you bought this lookalike and sent him to the Edge to take my place," Hiccup muttered, anger dripping off every word, eyes widened in fear and realisation.

"He's also not as smart as you, but I'm sure he'll manage long enough. Just as long as we get out of your waters before your girlfriend realises there's an imposter in your ranks, we'll be fine."

"They're smart enough to work it out," The Dragon Rider glowered.

"Then why aren't your friends here yet, hm?" Viggo raised his eyebrow, clearly amused by his adversary's optimism. Hiccup's grimace was answer enough, and he chuckled proudly.

"Sit tight, Hiccup Haddock, because you're not going anywhere," Viggo smirked, sauntering away. And all Hiccup could do was scowl.

* * *

 **A/N: Sooo... did you like it? Let me in the reviews! And once you've done that, you can tell me when HTTYD The Hidden World is coming out where you live! :) Here in the Netherlands, it's coming out on 23rd January. I'm curious, go tell me :)**

 **Anyway, I'll see you in two or three days, but until then, happy holidays!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Heyy! Sorry this is a day later than I told you guys it would be. I have a valid excuse: I got ill on Christmas Day. It literally woke up on Christmas and the first thing I thought was not 'yayy it's Christmas finally!' or 'I wonder what I've got' but instead it was 'why does everything ache?!'. So yeah. I then spent Boxing Day and the day after recovering. But I shouldn't complain, there are millions in this world who are in more pain than me everyday (like Hiccup in my stories. Oh wait... he's fictional :().**

 **Anywayyyy... back to talking about this chapter. This one was a bit harder to write for some reason, even though I was bursting with inspiration. Maybe it's the illness, I don't know, but what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry if this is not my best chapter/work in general, but all feedback is welcome! Onto reviews!**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Yeah, I get that... impatience is a term any fandom experiences a lot. When will you be able to watch it then?**

 **IAmHelenOfTroy:** **Oh yeah I see that now... that's weird. Why is it like that? And, here's your next chapter, enjoy! ;)**

 **JerryZ (review on chapter 1):** **I don't they will make an appearance in this story, but they do make an appearance in my stories When the Game Rules Change and Never a Coincidence so maybe you'll like those ;) Self-promo ends now. But I hope you'll enjoy this story nonetheless!**

 **CoverGirl7210:** **I think this story will have between seven and ten chapters. I don't know the exact number because I haven't planned out the last few chapters in as much details as the first ones but it should be around that length. And you shall see what Viggo has planned... ;) *cackles in distance* I like cackling if you haven't noticed XD**

 **Anyway, here's chapter 4. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a chilly, brisk evening, but it felt harshly cold when you were at sea. And even more so if you happened to be feeling like the entire world and all the gods were against you.

And Astrid happened to be feeling that way. She led the group of Riders out to sea, deducing where Viggo's ship was headed with the information they had forced out of the lookalike. How did they force it out of him? By ordering Stormfly to drop him. Every time. He would plummet towards the sea, screaming the answer to their question before the Nadder's talons would grip his shoulders again – which probably also hurt. At least, he gave them a bit of info just to save his own butt and Fishlegs would start using the info to keep them on track. They hadn't managed to get a single direct answer out of him. You would think that after they had done it five times that he would realise that just talking was less effort for them all, but this guy appeared to be almost as stubborn as Hiccup.

 _Hiccup... How was he? Had Viggo hurt him? What was he planning? Oh, this is all my fault... If I had just noticed earlier…_ She glared at the imposter.

"But Astrid, how could you have known? None of us saw this coming!" Fishlegs replied as Meatlug flew next to Toothless. _Oh… I said that out loud…._

"It is quite clever if you think about it. Bringing your enemy down from the inside-" Tuffnut commented from where the Hideous Zippleback flew behind them.

"It is, but it's the coward's way to win a war." Fishlegs interrupted him. "Kidnapping and slavery are both inhumane, they should really be outlawed."

"Uh, I wasn't finished!" The male twin exclaimed, with an expression that said _don't interrupt me!_ "I was going to ask how dumb this Viggo guy thinks we are! I mean, did he seriously not think we would notice something was off?" Silence fell, every Rider thinking about the question raised.

"Well, Viggo thinks everyone is expendable. With that kind of mindset, you can't have a very good relationship with your men. Maybe he just forgot we weren't like that," Snotlout pointed out, though it seemed unlikely to Astrid. _Viggo always thinks of everything, he can't have forgotten this._

"Or maybe he didn't need us to not notice. What if his plan is going perfectly? He did manage to get almost a day lead on us!" Ruffnut piped in, being surprisingly logical. Astrid paused in thought.

"We shall see what Viggo is up to when we get there," She patted Toothless, who by now knew this was a signal they needed new directions and flew over to the imposter in Stormfly's claws.

"Now, shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?" The young maiden asked, wearing a hard scowl. The imposter glared back.

"Vikings always do it the hard way, I'm telling ya anything!" He shouted, voice laden with a thick Scottish accent. Astrid rolled her eyes at his ignorance and stupidity.

"Alright." She sighed. "Where is Viggo headed?" But he shook his head defiantly. Astrid narrowed her eyes, fed up with the repetition, but nodded to Stormfly to drop him. The Deadly Nadder squawked cheerfully in reply, releasing her grip on the boy.

"Wait, I'll tell you where he's going!" The imposter shouted before he had dropped even a meter. Astrid smiled, anticipating a direct answer at last. _At least logic is finally getting through to him._

"Go get him, girl!" She said quietly to her dragon, who squawked in joy again before diving down. "Oh? What do you want to tell us?" Astrid asked him when her dragon brought him back up.

"Viggo wants to-" He started.

"Astrid! Ships up ahead!" Fishlegs' voice came loud and clear from behind his maps. Astrid looked up, and immediately her anger from the interruption turned to happiness and excitement. _Judging by the information we've got so far… Hiccup should be on that ship! Hold on, babe!"_

"Ok, gang, let's go up to the clouds out of sight. We'll come up with a plan, then get Hiccup back," She smirked down at the ship. _Who's the fool now, Viggo?_

* * *

He was going crazy again, he had to be. His brain was an absolute mess of horrible situations, all starting with Viggo's slave taking his place and ending in all of his friends and family dead or captured… He had screamed in frustration at one point, screamed until he remembered that Viggo or Ryker or any of the other Hunters guarding him could be listening and thoroughly enjoying it. He couldn't let that happen…

Another question had been raised in his mind too: where was Viggo taking him? Away from the Edge, that much he knew. But were they on the way to his base? Somewhere else? Was he simply going to be locked up until the other Riders realised that he had been replaced? How long was that going to take? Was every minute he sat on this ship one minute closer to a death in his enemy's hands? Every second they let that imposter linger on the Edge, the further he was away from them, and the more Viggo could do what he liked with him…

He screamed again, overwhelmed by the thoughts. _I must be going crazy…_ He thought again, when suddenly another voice in his mind spoke up.

 _Do something then._ Hiccup widened his eyes in realisation. How come he hadn't thought of that? All of the silence and not knowing meant he hadn't even tried to escape yet. Normally by now, he would have worn the guards into the ground with all his attempts to get out.

 _But it's not like you can do much in your situation._ The negative side of his brain started again.

 _You can at least try._ Argued the other side. _The worst thing that could happen is-_

"Shut up," He muttered to his own brain, wanting as much mental capacity as he possible reserved for trying to escape. He looked around him, at the all-too-familiar wooden walls and metal chains. _The chains. That's the first step._ He shuffled towards the bolt in the middle of the room, bending over to see it from new angles, hoping that would help him figure out the mechanism. The two chains from each of his wrists had been welded to the metal block that was attached to the floor with two massive bolts. _If I could loosen the bolt then maybe…_

 _But how?_ He inspected it again, noticing the slight gap between the metal block and the bolts. Ignoring the rattling of the chains as he moved, he untied the ropes that kept his prosthetic leg on, then lodged the metal that normally acted as his foot into the gap and pulled on the other end of his make-shift lever. And fifty pained grunts, ten growls of frustration and five minutes later, the piece of metal slowly emerged from the metal hunk before it shot out, the momentum forcing Hiccup onto his back. He winced as his head hit the floorboards and pain shot through his nerves, then flinched again when the bolt hit the wall with a loud clang. He froze, praying to Odin that the Hunters happened to be out of earshot. Five… ten… twenty seconds passed before he dared to move again. _One down… one to go…_

He followed the same procedure again with the other bolt, though luckily it didn't take as much time and effort... _thank Thor!_ He then gently pulled the contraption out of the floor, freezing every time it came in contact with the floorboards. _I've come this far... can't get caught now._ The whole thing was finally out of the wood. It was heavier than he had anticipated, it would be harder to get out carrying this block around with him, but Hiccup was not one to give up easily. He examined the thing, noticing how a thin wire was attached at the bottom end. _I wonder what purpose that served... I could use it to pick the lock of my cell though..._ A smile crept onto his face as his next step to escaping became clear. His fingers tingled with determination and excitement as he reattached his prosthetic. Picking the metal block up in his shackled hands and walking slowly towards the dragon-proof gate to minimalize the noise of his chains, he got to the gate, broke off the wire and started poking around in the big green-tinted lock. He whispered prayers to the gods as he worked, begging them to show him favour and not let any Hunters spot him. He continued to fiddle with the mechanism, which proved quite difficult at the angle he was standing at, but he let out a gasp of excitement and thanked the gods when he heard a clear click and the gate started moving.

 _ **Bang!**_ Something crashed up on deck, causing him to jump and the chains to rattle uncontrollably.

"Dragon Riders!" Came a harsh shout from above him, one that caused a happy smile to creep onto Hiccup's face. _Great timing guys!_ He shouted in his mind, recklessly flinging the door to his cell open, holding the metal block under his right arm as he sprinted towards the ladder that led to the open. Ignoring the constant rattling of metal and shouts of protest from Hunters all around him, he used his left arm to pull himself up onto the deck.

Chaos was everywhere. The dragons set fire to the deck, arrows and boulders flew in every direction, the twins and Snotlout were causing mayhem as per usual… and Hunters were running towards him. He panicked, he hadn't thought this bit through. How was he going to get into the air and not get caught again?

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted from above him, causing him to turn around just in time to dodge an axe had would have chopped off half his shoulder. He suddenly remembered the metal block in his hand and an idea popped into his head. _That's too risky… You have no choice… You're not strong enough for that… Hurry up before you lose another limb!_ He dropped the hunk of metal onto the deck, backing into the Hunters who were ready to recapture him as he grabbed the chains attached to his wrists and spun. Soldiers looked at him funny, wondering what in the name of Thor he was doing until he had built up enough momentum to lift the block from the ground. He spun it around with all his might, straining to not drop it as he knocked over every Hunter within a few metres radius. _Keep going, keep going, keep going… can't keep going._ The metal hit the ground with a loud _thump_ and Hiccup almost followed but was soon sidetracked as he dodged the many weapons being swung his way.

"Use the chains as a shield!" He heard Astrid call again as she and Toothless circled the ship. Explosions were going off all around him but he forced himself not to be distracted as he swung his wrists around as protection from maces and spears. _**Clank, clank, clank…**_ _Wait, what?_ Hiccup suddenly stumbled backwards as his wrists became light as a feather. He looked down in surprise, and to his delight he found the chains had been cut in two, leaving only metal rings around his wrists and a few remaining links attached to them. _Let's get into the air… Where's Astrid?!_ He shouted in his mind as he evaded arms trying to grab the remainder of his chains.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted again from where she and Toothless hovered above the stern of the ship.

"Coming!" He shouted, getting the message and sprinted towards them. He reached the end of the ship within a minute and climbed onto the wooden ledge as ebony black scales came towards him. He raised his arms ready to be rescued, glancing behind him worriedly to see Hunters hurrying towards him. _Come on, come on! Hurry up!_ His brain screamed at his girlfriend, as they neared. _A few more seconds!_ He had had luck on his side up until now, he just hoped it would hold out until he was back safely on the Edge.

But apparently, his luck had run out. An excruciating pain pierced his back, and before he could register what happened or what caused the sudden pain, he lost his balance and toppled forward into the cold ocean, just as Toothless and Astrid swooped over him. The water hit him the face like a rockhard block of ice, but the combination of the pain, the cold and salt water making contact with the wound paralyzed his body as his lungs begged for air. He screamed into the water, his brain screaming at him to swim, but now his chest ached for oxygen. He was blinded by black spots as he sank motionlessly in the water. _Find a happy place! No, fight for your life!_ But his consciousness was slipping out of his grip as he heard muffled shouts of his name through the water. His eyes fought to stay open but he was spiralling out of control as his world turned to black.

* * *

 **A/N: Yup... that happened. Did you like it? Please give me some feedback in the reviews. Positive or constructive critism, I don't mind, I just like knowing your opinions. I will try and get the next chapter up within a few days but until then, enjoy the last few days of 2018!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hellooo! I'm back with another chapter... reviews!**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Yes... cliffhangers... I enjoy those ;P**

 **Antox:** **Yup, an arrow. Stupid arrow.**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **Yes he did. There are some measures that people stoop to that are... well... you get what I mean.**

 **Angel Talon:** **Did I just kill Hiccup? Noooooo, I could never. Doesn't mean I can't hurt him though! And to answer your detective question... no comment. You'll see.**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **Poor Hiccup, indeed. And it's not going to get much easier for him any time soon... And thanks, by the way!**

 **IAmHelenOfTroy:** **hehehehehehehehehehe**

 **Guest (review on chapter** **3):** **Oh... I hope you survive the wait.**

 **Guest:** **YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS *cackles again cuz it's fun***

 **By the way, Romantica 123, if you're still alive, please say hello! I haven't seen you in a while and I miss you :(**

 **So... the Riders are in quite a pickle to put in mildly... here's chapter 5:**

* * *

The plan had been going so well. Everything was falling into place, and Hiccup even surprised them with his own escape initiative. Until the gods turned their backs on them.

 _Astrid had attacked full of fury and battle spirits when the ship had been in range. War cries, startled Hunters, and fire everywhere as they set their plan into motion. It was a simple distraction rescue plan, but they had thought through a few different ways to cope with unexpected things, just like Viggo would do. Pretty fool-proof. And as it turned out, they didn't even need to rescue Hiccup, he had managed to escape on his own accord. Sure, he was manacled and was carrying the contraption that kept his wrists bound, but it did make their work a lot easier._

" _Hiccup!" She had shouted, scared that he would get hurt by the Hunters approaching him from behind. He was pretty damn genius, that guy, using that hunk of metal as a weapon, even if it was pretty heavy._

" _Use the chains as a shield!" She had suggested when he lost momentum, praying to the gods that there would be an opportunity for her and Toothless to get him off that deck. But how were they going to deal with the added weight… oh, problem solved. She couldn't help but get distracted by the delighted look on her boyfriend's face when he realised he was almost free. He started to make his way to the stern of the ship, which was Astrid's cue it was time to go._

" _Light up the way, Toothless," She whispered and Toothless replied with a growl that sounded like 'you don't have to tell me twice'. Astrid smiled, bracing herself for when they would dive down to get him as the deck exploded in a mix of green, yellow, red and blue. Hiccup ran straight through the path made by the purple fire._

" _Hiccup!" She shouted as encouragement._

" _Coming!" He shouted in reply as he scrambled towards the stern and climbed onto the wooden ledge, clearly straining to keep his balance and not topple into the waves below him. "Now, Toothless," The air immediately whipped through her hair as the Night Fury dived towards him. Hiccup glanced worriedly back at the ship. She followed his gaze and then her heart skipped a beat. Viggo overlooked the battle, hands behind his back and a determined scowl on his face. Beside him was Ryker, who was standing on top of one of the cabins, longbow in hand, an arrow pointing directly at her boyfriend. "Come on Toothless, we have to get him before he gets hurt," She whispered, praying to the gods that they could get him in the air before the arrow- She didn't want to think about it. She stole a glance at Hiccup's pleading, hopeful gaze and bit her lip in worry. Come on, come on, come on. Time seemed to slow down as both the arrow and Toothless' claws raced to him. Just a little longer, just a little-_

 _Hiccup gave a pained gasp as the arrow pierced his back, then toppled off the ship and into the sea, half-conscious._

And now she watched in horror as all the Hunters ran to the stern and threw nets and chains into the water.

"No! Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted, diving Hookfang into the water, but Astrid sat on Toothless' back, frozen. _No… it hadn't worked… the arrow had got there first_ … Within seconds of the Hunters tugging at their ropes, Hiccup's motionless figure could be seen emerging from the ocean, the bloody arrow still wedged into his back. Toothless growled, fidgeting as he tried to work out a way to save his rider… but it seemed so hopeless. Soon after, Snotlout and Hookfang flew back out of the water, breathless and morose. They all watched in despair as the Hunters pulled the arrow out and slapped his back to clear his lungs. A heart-wrenching yell of pain came from Hiccup's lips and his eyes twitched. Astrid's eyes fell on the blood that already saturated the area around the wound and dripped onto the deck. Viggo stood smirking from where he had been standing the whole time, almost completely in the shadows as the sun slowly sunk towards the horizon.

"Viggo!" Astrid found herself yelling, her hands trembling slightly. The man looked up at her calmly, one eyebrow raised. "Let him go!"

"And why would I do that, my dear Astrid?" His smirk was growing at a maddening rate.

"I'll exchange him for your imposter, you can have him back!" She shouted in reply, desperate for anything that would get her Hiccup back. Viggo laughed at her.

"Do you really think I find him more valuable than your leader? Why, if I wanted him back so much I never would have dumped him in Hiccup's hut that evening! He's just a slave, slaves have little worth in this world. Besides, all people are expendable."

"Hey, every human is equal and has immeasurable worth!" Fishlegs shouted angrily.

"And this is not a game!" Tuffnut added, he and his twin scowling. But Viggo ignored them, only giving Astrid a mocking sympathetic smile as he studied her scowl. "At least you'll have something to remember your loss," He ambled away smugly, muttering a word to his brother before retreating below deck.

"Fire!" Ryker shouted as the Hunters aimed their crossbows towards the five dragons in the sky. Astrid growled, ducking to dodge a few of the projectiles coming her way.

"Astrid, what are we going to do?" Fishlegs shouted over the whizzing noising that bombarded them.

"We fight back, of course!"

"But we don't have a good angle or viewpoint," Snotlout replied, glancing at the darkening sky. "It's getting dark, there's too many off them, we're here in plain sight and-" He stopped speaking as a boulder almost knocked him out of the air. "It's too risky, even for us!" The female warrior, said nothing, not knowing what to do. Arrows flew past them at a rapid pace, every dragon growling as they dodged. A scream came from the imposter as an arrow pierced his good foot, and the twins hugged their dragon's neck as their helmets were jostled by the flying weapons.

"We can't stay here, regroup at the Edge," Astrid commanded, feeling overwhelmed. The dragons obeyed immediately, grateful to be out of range as they began the long flight back. It was a sullen journey, no one spoke. They had watched victory come so close, and then be snatched out of their hands right before their eyes. Astrid's pushed her loose hairs back in stress, a tear running down her cheek.

 _Babe…_

 _Hiccup…_

* * *

 _Wha-what is going on? Why does my back- OW!_ He was slammed against the floor which such force that he felt like his back was exploding in pain. He felt warm liquid trickling down his skin, sticking the fabric to the wound. He squinted his eyes open, blurrily looking at the Hunters approaching him. They rolled him onto his stomach and a rough hand gripped his armour as another cut it open, revealing the clean wound beneath it and leaving him shirtless. The blood started to trickle down his skin. Hiccup moaned in pain. How had he gotten into this mess anyway? One minute he had been on the brink of freedom and now he was-

"You got a good shot, sir, right between the shoulder blades," He heard a Hunter comment, interrupting his thoughts.

"Aye," Ryker chuckled, causing Hiccup to grimace. "Bandage him up. Otherwise he'll die before we get there." _Get there? Where on earth are we headed? If we were going to Viggo's base we would be there by now, so where- ARRRGH!_ A grubby finger pressed down on the wound, hands grabbing Hiccup's limbs as he writhed. Bandages were wrapped around his chest but so sloppily that he wondered what good they would do to stop the blood flow.

"Ah, hello brother," Ryker's voice darkened.

"How's he doing?" Viggo replied, calmly.

"I don't think he's awake, but he'll live," He paused, and Hiccup could imagine the Dragon Hunter leader nodding contently. He felt his stomach twinge and he struggled not to throw up. Had Viggo planned this whole thing? "Why didn't you just let me beat 'im up? He almost got away!"

"My plan hurt both his body _and_ his morale. Punches and kicks would only make him more determined. We're supposed to break him, not harden him. It wasn't my choice to have the Riders attack at that time," Ryker audibly growled. "I know you don't approve of my methods, but may I remind you who of us set up the deal _and_ conducted a plan to capture him. We should get to the meeting place within a day or so. Make sure he doesn't make another break for it. He'd be foolish to do so, but you never know." Footsteps disappeared, and Hiccup prayed to the gods that the pain would too.

"Get the chains, we're not letting him out of his cell again," Ryker muttered, venom clear in his voice. Hiccup grunted, hating the helplessness he felt. Every movement hurt and he could already feel the cloth that covered the wound soaking through. The pain was excruciating and he had to bite his lip to stop himself from screaming as the Hunters rolled him onto his side – none too carefully. The dreaded sound of chains came closer and closer until he felt the remaining metal rings on his wrists be pushed up his arms and a new set click in place. Another ring was snapped around his leg and he flinched as the new bolts were hammered in. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could move his fingers to his ears without screaming.

After what felt like hours later he opened his eyes and looked around him. The Hunters were finally leaving, Ryker taking a final glance at him before smiling maliciously and locking the cell.

"Left you a little note," He whispered, smirking as he walked down the hall. _What?_ His eyes flickered around the cell. Same walls, same green-tinted gate, same wooden floorboards… His gaze fell on the new bolt in the floor that kept his three remaining limbs bound. It was bigger this time, and looked much too heavy to lift out of the ground… let alone in his state.

But in front of it, a little piece of parchment was propped up, sitting sideways so he could read it from where he lay.

 _This one is bigger, more bolts, no gaps and no wire to help you._

 _Sit tight. We'll be there soon._

 _-V_

* * *

 **A/N: See you in 2019 ;) Question of the day: favourite rtte episode? Mine is Triple Cross.**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: 'Ello! Got the new chapter ready! I'm going to try and finish this story before Monday next week, because on Tuesday I'm back to school. We'll see how that goes. Anyway... reviews!**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!**

 **fantasylunargirl:** **Yes I agree, it is hard to choose!**

 **CoverGirl2710:** **Midnight Scrum is probably my second favourite, or at least in my top five. Glad you enjoyed! And that... Stoick is unlikely to make an appearance in this story.**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **More will be revealed in this chapter... and even more so the next...**

 **Angel Talon:** **That is true, also why I like Midnight Scrum. And about your question... you'll see...**

 **Nishnibbles:** **Thank you so much, hope you enjoy this chapter as well :)**

 **Romantica 123:** **YAYY YOU'RE BACK! And thank you so much, I hope the next chapters are just as good ;)**

 **Without further ado, chapter 6:**

* * *

Astrid slammed the wooden gate shut, locking the chain with such force that Snotlout thought she might snap it in two if she wasn't careful. The slave yelped at her anger, stumbling backwards, the arrow still protruding from his foot. The young maiden stomped away, ignoring how the imposer pleaded with her to treat the wound. The other Riders followed her like sheep, knowing that if they didn't choose their words carefully, they could get an axe to the head. The flight to the Clubhouse was a silent one, each Rider wondering when the best moment was to bring up the fact that it would be a good idea to just treat the imposter's wound…

"Uh… Astrid?" Fishlegs was the first to speak up as Astrid took a bite of the cold meat they should've eaten hours before. Her expression was a mix of different emotions that she was failing to suppress, and the Gronckle rider couldn't tell if she was about to burst out into tears, scream at the top of her lungs or throw something at him.

"Yes, Fishlegs?" She asked flatly.

"Don't you think we should-"

"Rescue Hiccup? Of course."

"I was going to ask-"

"How? I have absolutely no clue." Her eyes became glazed, but she kept them focused on the wooden table.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask." He could see the surprise in her face, but she refused to look up. "I was going to ask if we should treat the lookalike's arrow wound…?"

"Why should we? He's partly to blame for this mess." She snapped. Fishlegs looked around the Clubhouse. The dragons all looked irritable, except Toothless. The Night Fury stared at his tailfin sadly, purring quietly. The other Riders were all eating, not saying a word and not a smile to be seen.

"Well… isn't that Viggo's fault? It was his plan after all," Fishlegs countered. Astrid was silent, chewing slowly. "He could help us, you know. He could-" He stopped as Astrid slammed her forehead onto the wooden table. Her chest raised and fell at an alarming rate, and it took a minute before quiet sobs could be heard in the pin-drop silence.

"I'm sorry," She said when she sat up and wiped away a stray tear a few minutes later. "I'm just angry," She slammed her fist onto her leg, muttering Viggo's name under her breath. "And sad, and confused. I don't know what to do… We've never failed like this before. We've never lost Hiccup like this. He'd know what to do right now…" The silence continued as the tension in the room slowly fell.

"What do you think Viggo is planning?" Snotlout asked, putting down his plate of mutton. "He was going on about how valuable Hiccup is and how much people are worth…"

"That was just because in slavery, they put prices of people," Tuffnut commented, also having finished his meal.

"It could be… but you make a good point Snotlout… he did put quite an emphasis on it," Fishlegs rubbed his chin with his fingers. A silence fell, everyone's brain coming to the same unspeakable conclusion.

"You don't think… you don't think Viggo might try to… try to sell Hiccup to someone… do you?" Snotlout's face showed pure concern and the tension that had once filled the Clubhouse was now replaced with worry. The Jorgenson glanced at Astrid, who scowled.

"As much as I hate to say it… it would make sense," Fishlegs agreed, wholeheartedly wishing they were having a very different conversation.

"But if he is doing that, how do we stop him?" Snotlout raised the question.

"We have to stop him…" Astrid muttered darkly, and everyone nodded.

"Maybe… we could give Viggo a taste of his medicine?" That got everyone's attention. Fishlegs smiled to himself as his idea formulated. "He tricked us with the lookalike, maybe we could trick him, or Hiccup's potential buyer. And while they're confused, we get both of them out." Astrid's scowl slowly turned into a hopeful, determined look.

"I like it," She smiled.

"Question," Tuffnut raised his hand. "Are we going to talk to the slave about it or… do we just force him to go along with it?"

"He might ruin it if we don't tell him, so I think we'll have to convince him to cooperate," Snotlout reasoned.

"Good point, Snotlout," Astrid agreed. "So… who's going to talk to that guy… whatever his name is," She blinked, suddenly realising they didn't even know the imposter's name. Fishlegs raised his hand.

"I'll go and talk to him, and treat his arrow wound while I'm at it. Don't worry, by the time I come back, he'll be with us on the plan," He said, patting Meatlug awake and jogging out of the Clubhouse.

"Ok, we'll leave at first light. Let's go get some sleep," Astrid agreed, secretly wanting to leave immediately but knowing none of them could take much more without some rest. They nodded and made their way to their huts with their dragons, but Toothless stayed and walked towards the table, looking up to Astrid with big eyes.

"Don't worry, Toothless, we're going to get him back," She smiled her first genuine in what felt like days, before giving him a big hug. Toothless crooned in agreement. Yes, they were.

* * *

Hiccup had spent the past day drifting in and out of sleep, or unconsciousness. He didn't really know which one it was, but he did know that he could never stay asleep for more than a few hours without waking up from the pain. He had never noticed that he moved much in his sleep until every slight movement sent jolts of pain throughout his entire body.

It had surprised him when, about six hours ago, a proper healer had come into the cell. He didn't think Viggo or Ryker had cared that much about his wellbeing. Whatever 'deal' they had planned for him must be pretty important… He wasn't wearing the Hunter uniform, and wasn't of their usual build either, but wore a simple brown tunic which was a similar colour to his hair and beard. His bandages had been refreshed, luckily much tighter than the sloppy job Ryker's men had done, and Hiccup had managed to find some pain relief in that.

"You're lucky your armour slowed the arrow down and only the tip got in. Otherwise, you'd be stuck for a long while. If you rest and keep the bandages tight and clean, you'll be up within a week." He had said as he rubbed some kind of liquid into the puncture in his skin. _A week?! Viggo's note said we'd be there soon. How long was he going to be able to rest?_

And now the dreaded time had come. Ryker had made his reappearance after twenty-four hours. The two made eye contact before the large man's eyes trailed over his slumped form. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but he silently unlocked the cell and approached him. Hiccup's scowl hardened as his captor flicked away the note he had left. His wrists were harshly grabbed as Ryker clicked a small key into the keyhole on the manacles and on the shackle.

"Get up." Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. Every cell in his body screamed for him not to move, whereas his brain reminded him that obedience would be less painful than the other option. He rolled onto his stomach and gently pushed himself up onto his knees. The burning sensation caused by the movement was only slightly dulled by the healer's treatment and he had to bit his lip, and hard, in an attempt not to make any noise. Placing his hands on the wall to steady himself, he stood up slowly, only to look up at a very impatient Ryker. _Oh, Thor help me..._ He was led out of the cell, where it appeared a crowd of Hunters were ready to escort him. And one of them held yet _another_ set of manacles. The instant he stepped out his wrists her harshly grabbed _again_ , pulled behind his back and locked into the restraints. The sharp act made him hiss in pain, but Ryker quickly grabbed his chin.

"Stop hissing and let's get a move on." _Oh, as if I'm to blame for this arrow wound you so graciously shot at me, or I'm the one roughly grabbing my wrists and putting them in manacles, even though it is pretty clear that I'm not able to make a break for it at the moment..._ But he held his tongue for the sake of not angering his captor as they led him up onto the deck, and he could finally see they had docked on an unfamiliar island. It was very rocky, with a few trees dotted the landed and added a splash of colour to the otherwise desolate mound of granite. It appeared uninhabited, excluding the lone Terror that the Hunters took pleasure in running after with crossbows armed with dragon root arrows...

But the thing that caught his attention the most was the hooded figure that stood about fifty metres from the shore. He couldn't see his eyes, but he could almost feel his attentive gaze on him as was led onto the rocky beach. Hiccup tried to walk carefully over the uneven gravel, but the Hunters urged him on with a push on the shoulder, sending yet another searing jolt of pain through his body. He winced, and he was sure the mysterious man was smirking slightly.

"Greetings, my faithful business partner!" Viggo emerged from the shadows and walked to stand in from of him as he was directed to stop. Hiccup scowled at his enemy's flowery talk but listened nonetheless. "I'm glad you made it. I have come to uphold my part of the deal, I hope you are prepared to uphold yours too?" Aside from the two Hunters holding each of Hiccup's arms and Ryker, who now stood next to his younger brother, the rest of the men retreated back to the ship they had arrived on. Hiccup watched the masked man intently as he nodded towards a sack on the ground. He narrowed his eyes at it, his brain slowly putting the pieces together... _no... it couldn't be... could it?_

"Are you sure this is who you say it is?" An unfamiliar voice came from the man, who took a few proud steps towards him, clearly scrutinising him.

"I assure you, this is Hiccup Haddock the Third, heir to the throne of Berk and expert in the art of training dragons." Suddenly a sweat broke out on his forehead as it suddenly clicked in his brain. _How have I not seen it earlier? First, all that talk of a deal and breaking me? Then that big sack on the ground, one that looks exactly like the one Ryker was going to use to pay my bounty... and now this talk about me and my ability to train dragons._

 _I never thought Viggo would stoop this low... but there's no other explanation._ He looked with furious, bewildered eyes at his enemy, who met his gaze with a small smirk. _The coward... he can't do this. It's against the law in this archipelago to do this..._

"There must be a reason you brought me to still particularly island,"

"It is outside the archipelago that holds to the law against selling enemy captives, therefore making this transaction legal," Despite the fact that he already worked out what was going on, those words hurt like a slap to his arrow wound.

 _This is it. I'm never going to see the other Riders again. Or my father. I'm going to become just a piece of property, a slave to whoever this Viking is._

 _Viggo is_ _ **selling**_ _me..._

* * *

 **A/N: Yup... more is to be revealed next chapter. In the meantime, please continue sending me your lovely reviews, I really enjoy reading them :)** **And I'll see you again in a few days!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello! I'm back. I did leave you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter, didn't I? ;) We will continue now, but first... this is now my most reviewed and most followed story yet and it's not even finished! So thank you guys! Keep the reviews coming! And on that note:**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **Yup... you'll see ;)**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **The masked man's identity will be revealed this chapter... And a happy new year to you too! And thank you for not spoiling it for me. I've already seen a few spoilers on Instagram by accident because people don't put up a spoiler warning. I mean I like what I see but I don't like seeing it, you get me? And I also love Viggo, because of his overall character in the series :)**

 **keldlando:** **Oh, you'll see what happens ;)**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **Don't worry, no criticism taken. And you shall see this chapter...**

 **Nishnibbles:** **Awwww thank you!** **I don't know how you write, but I'm sure it's not as bad as you think. I find I'm often more critical of my writing than others are, because you're always your biggest hater. That's just how it works. Practice makes perfect, but a bit of skill and talent helps too ;) Hope this encouragement helps you. As for the island, maybe I didn't use enough imagery for you, I don't know. It's clear in my mind. Thank you for pointing that out, that can help me write better in the future :)**

 **IAmHelenOfTroy:** **XD**

 **Anyway... I guess you are all bursting to know who the mysterious buyer is and how Hiccup is going to get out of this mess... so I won't hinder you from reading anymore ;)**

* * *

Wide-eyed, Hiccup stared as Viggo and his buyer – his _buyer_ – shook hands. The man nodded towards him, walking towards him proudly in a way that would have made Hiccup feel like throwing up if the nerves weren't already doing that. The Hunters holding up started moving forward as well, and a switch flipped inside of him. The pain in his back was next to nothing, dulled by adrenaline as he squirmed, wriggling his arms to try and release their grip, and dragging his legs across the ground. His captors were stronger though, at least, until Hiccup slammed his prosthetic into the kneecap of the man to his left. A yelp of pain and the Hunter was on the ground, allowing Hiccup to swivel round and kick the other guy in the gut. The grip on his arm loosened and he was able to pull free, turning around to find an escape route. _Hang on… where's the masked man gone?_ _Argh!_

A muscular, dark coloured arm wrapped around his neck tightly, causing Hiccup to splutter.

"Do we always have to play the same game, Hiccup Haddock?" That voice… how come he hadn't recognised it? He forced his chin up, resisting the grip of his assailant. He couldn't see all of his face, but he had seen enough to know who it was. Brown eyes, long face, short black hair and a healed scar running down his left eye.

"You again," Hiccup growled, wishing his hands weren't restrained behind his back so he could pull at his arm. _First, he tries to buy Toothless at the auction, then he captures me and almost gets me killed, and now this?!_ He stamped his prosthetic down on the ground, trying to find his attacker's foot, but he was one step ahead of him.

"Get him under control," Hiccup was thrust towards the soldiers, who had by now recovered from their blows. Their grip returned to his arms and he could feel every muscle in his body tense up in frustration. He began to notice the pounding pain in his back again but tried with all his mind to ignore it. His health could easily be restored, but he was starting to wonder whether his freedom was just as easy to get back. "I thought you said had got him ready?" His buyer raised an eyebrow at the scowling Grimborn brothers.

"He is, the arrow wound on his back is going to take a while to be fully healed, and puts him in quite a lot of pain," Viggo reassured him, and it was only then that the dark man glanced at the red-stained bandages that were wrapped around the shirtless teenager and grunted.

"Difficult one, aren't you?" Hiccup scowled at the guy's smirk, but then he gasped in surprise and pain as a dark fist collided with his jaw. He blinked, the stinging in his face increasing exponentially. "Anyway, how about we get on with the formalities of the transaction." Viggo nodded, walking over to the sack on the ground. Ryker followed, peering in, then lifted it up to feel the weight. Viggo watched as he nodded.

"My brother approves, and I trust you not to go back on your agreement, should we settle it?" The trio all nodded and a new man walked out of the trees, holding a- _oh no!_ Hiccup instantly recognised the metal object that was now being passed to his buyer. A déjà vu feeling arose in him, and for a few seconds, he pictured himself backing away from the smouldering hot iron held by the Hunters while he and Dagur were prisoners...

But this time it wasn't just a threat to make him talk. He was being branded for real now. He would become a piece of property for the rest of his life. _How will I ever be able to go back to Berk if I escape? How will I ever be able to face dad? I probably will never see him or any of the other Riders again..._ His mind wandered off in a panic as a drop of sweat ran off his forehead and down his cheek, almost looking like a tear.

"Hold still," Were the words that awakened him to reality again, and only then did feel a hand pressing again his shoulder, presumably to hold the skin still. Out of instinct, he struggled again, trying to wriggle out of the Hunters' iron grip. But it wasn't deterring his buyer. The heat that was radiating from the iron could be felt on his skin even though it hadn't touched him yet. His ex-bounty hunter was taking his time and finally, Hiccup stopped writhing, closing his eyes in defeat, trying to steady his shaky breathing and bracing himself for the burning pain.

"STOP!" A voice boomed. Hiccup opened his eyes in surprise, releasing a breath he didn't realise he had been holding as the man withdrew the brand and left his shoulder unharmed. Everyone turned to see who had interrupted the exchange and Hiccup's eyes followed the voice to- _THROK?!_ Hiccup's mouth fell open and his eyes widened as the Defender marched towards them, dragging someone along with him. _What in the name of Odin…_ Hiccup's mouth only fell more open as he saw what appeared to be a boy who looked exactly like him. The clothes he wore were almost identical to the ones Hiccup would have been wearing, complete with tousled brown hair and a prosthetic leg. _Well, the leg isn't exactly the same but it's close…_

"I warn you," He was talking directly to Hiccup's buyer. "You are being fooled by Viggo Grimborn. He is trying to sell you an imposter. I assure you, this is the _real_ Hiccup Haddock the Third, son of Stoick the Vast, heir of Berk and master trainer of dragons." Hiccup watched in astonishment as his buyer glanced between him, Viggo and Throk, clearly confused. The Dragon Rider caught sight of Throk and his lookalike winking at him, heard Viggo and Ryker growl in anger and suddenly it clicked. _This is Viggo's slave… my Thor! You would almost think he was me! And Throk… is he with the others?_ He glanced at the sky, trying to catch a glimpse of Astrid or any of the others. _Where are they…?_ The tail of a Deadly Nadder poked out of the clouds for a split second and a smile crossed Hiccup's face for a moment before he covered up to not raise any eyebrows.

"Seize him!" Viggo shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the ginger-haired man, but the buyer raised a hand to stop him.

"Oh? Is that true?" He raised an eyebrow, nearing towards them.

"It is, sir. There have been words of a slave on the market who looks exactly like Hiccup, and I think your business partner here has bought him and is trying to sell you an imposter! Whereas I have captured the real dragon trainer!" Throk answered, earning a scowl from the bound slave. Hiccup tried to keep a neutral facial expression, wondering what in the name of Thor was going to happen next. He glanced at the Grimborn brothers, who looked like they were about to explode and Hiccup had to swallow laughter at the colour of Viggo's face. All eyes were on the buyer, who looked deep in thought.

"I know," He said after a few seconds. "I shall have to test the two Hiccups to find out which one is the real one. We shall go to my base, which is a few hours away by boat, and in my arena, we shall discover which boy is the master dragon trainer I seek," Viggo opened his mouth to speak, but the buyer raised a finger to silence him. "The first one to object admits that they are the one with the imposter." That shut him up. Viggo looked like he had just swallowed fire, and Ryker's hand was clenched around the hilt of his sword. A moment of silence followed, Viggo and Throk having a stare-down while Hiccup and the slave looked at each other in bewilderment.

It felt like minutes later that Viggo gestured for the Hunters holding Hiccup's arms to go back onto the ship and Throk started dragging the slave towards the ship that was docked a bit further up the shore.

"One more thing," The buyer shouted at the retreating men. "Both contestants will be held on my ship, which is docked on the other side of the island." Viggo looked ready to kill everyone who was standing on the island, which Hiccup thought was a bit odd. _I mean, unless the slave has been taught to train dragons, he should get his deal… right?_ He didn't fully understand what the others were planning, he just hoped for Odin's sake that it would work. The grip the Hunters had on his arms was replaced with new arms as he was led towards the other side of the small island, closely followed by the slave and his escorts. The buyer shouted something to Throk and Viggo about the location of his base, but Hiccup was already too far away to hear properly.

 _Please, guys, let your plan work…_

* * *

"Hey,"

Hiccup lay on his side in his cell, exhausted, as he looked up into the slave's cell. The walk to the buyer's ship had been a long one, and on top of that, the least painful way of walking was a more tiring way. The manacles around his wrists had been removed, thank Thor for that, but it did make it more comfortable and tempting to fall asleep, although he knew he had to stay alert if he was going to make it out alive and free.

"H-hi," He replied, tone raising at the end in uncertainty.

"Seems you're a wanted man,"

"Yup," Silence fell again.

"It's weird how alike we look. It's like we're long lost twins," The slave said, almost cheerfully. Hiccup grunted, remembering the time his father had insisted he was an only child after the Heather fiasco. Not that he didn't believe him, but this guy did have a point.

"You know I'm helping your friends, right?" This caught Hiccup's attention as he suddenly realised he had no clue what had been going for the past few days.

"What went on back on the Edge?"

"The Edge?"

"That's the name for our base,"

"Oh. Well… I have to say, despite all the training Viggo gave me, cutting off half my leg and all that-"

"Wait, he cut off your leg?!" Hiccup raised his head in shock, only to wince in pain and lower it onto the floor again.

"Don't hurt yourself, Master's done enough to you as it is," The slave looked genuinely concerned for him. "But yes, he bought me on the slave market, cut off my leg and started feeding me information about you and your friends. I literally had to study every single element about you. But I'm not a good actor. Anyway, I was dumped in your hut the night you were kidnapped and I was supposed to take your place and make sure they didn't attack Master while he got you out of your waters. But I got really nervous and messed it up pretty quickly. Your dragon started growling at me from the start, and I never really understood why Astrid got so angry at me for going straight to bed-" Hiccup gasped, the pieces slotting together.

"We were going to meet on the cliff for a date, that's why,"

"You two are dating?"

"Um… yeah,"

"Well, that explains a lot,"

"Yeah. Wait… did she try to kiss you?" The slave hesitated. "I take that as a yes,"

"Yes, that was just before she realised I wasn't you and almost killed me…"

"Sounds like Astrid,"

"Yeah, well, that wasn't part of the plan, so I took off running. But you know, dragons flying over you while you're running on an unfamiliar island is bound to fail so they got me and demanded I told them where Viggo was headed." He chuckled quietly. "I'm a bit stubborn though, so I gave them awkward answers every time Astrid dropped me to get me to talk,"

"Hm, seems like we're even _more_ alike than we realise," Hiccup chuckled, genuinely laughing for the first time since his kidnapping. The slave smiled in reply.

"Well, you know the bit about the failed rescue attempt," He sighed, glancing at the blood-stained bandages. "And your friends had to retreat. I got an arrow to the foot as well, but eventually, Fishlegs treated that,"

"How do you not scream when you walk?" Hiccup exclaimed in disbelief. The slave shrugged.

"I've been a slave for most of my life, I'm used to being in pain," He said sadly. Hiccup frowned, then muttered quietly to himself.

"You'd think after all the times I've been captured I'd have got used to it by now,"

"You get captured a lot?"

"Let's just say I'd be surprised if anyone has beaten my record on number of times being kidnapped in five years…" Hiccup paused, inhaling deeply and trying to ignore the pain in his back. "Do we have a plan?"

"Hm?"

"Do we have a plan to get out of here, or the arena that guy is taking us to?"

"I guess… Astrid is counting on you to train that dragon, get them distracted and then they will attack from the air and the Defenders of the thingy, or whatever they're called, will attack on land,"

"Wait… all the Defenders of the Wing are here?"

"Yeah, apparently they heard word of you being on the slave markets too and were on their way to see if you needed help and Astrid spotted them while they were tracking you, explained everything and they agreed to help," Hiccup felt a smile creeping on his face. _Gods, I really owe them one._

"What if you have to go first?" Hiccup asked.

"Um… I haven't thought of that…"

"Maybe I could give you a speed lesson in dragon training, uh… what's your name?" Hiccup asked.

"My name's Sigurd. And yes please," He was beaming now at the idea of training dragons. "I don't remember much from where I lived before I was sold as a slave, but we weren't exactly friends of dragons." Hiccup smiled at his enthusiasm, trying not to wince or grunt in pain as he sat up.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

 **A/N: I really, really enjoyed writing that dialogue. It kind of just came out in one go without much thought. Anyway, what did you think? Let me know in the reviews. Also, while I was looking up Norse names for the slave, I found out a few interesting things. Excuse me if you already know these, but here we go:**

 **Viggo means battle, Thorston means stone of Thor, Gustav means staff of the gods, Astrid means divine beauty and I chose the name Sigurd because it means guiding the victory... my little attempt at foreshadowing.**

 **Another little note, this was the seventh chapter! That might seem incredible to you, but you didn't see the original plan for this story! It was going to be a story with maximum three chapters (back then I only had the lookalike idea thing) and _boy_ has the story developed! I'm really proud of it. :)**

 **Anyway, I shall see you in a few days for the next chapter!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Helloooo! It's me again! I'm really excited because I found out that HTTYD The Hidden World comes out a week earlier than I thought it would so I can see it at the end of next week! EEEEEEEE! *takes a deep breath* Anyway, reviews:**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Yes I've heard of Rescue Riders. My opinion: as long as they don't drag it out or follow other characters, then I'm really excited. Has it been confirmed yet? And thanks, btw.**

 **Nishnibbles:** **Aww thank you! As for tips... there are loads I could give on different topics. The biggest one is to make sure you can picture everything you write. This escpecially helps in action scenes because (at least for me) you get totally engrossed in them and the words just flow. I know everyone has a different level of skill in writing (for me it's one of my talents, I guess, if I may say so myself) but that's what happens for me. I make sure I can see and hear everything. And I also try to space the chapters out to torture all my readers with cliffhangers ;) Hope those help, but if you want tips on a specific topic, feel free to PM me and I'll see if I can help :)**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **Thank you! Here's your chapter ;)**

 **SkyDreamer12 (review on chapter 2):** **Well done! We have another budding detective ;)**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **XD Yup, sorry about the red herring ;) Haha, and you'll see what happens...**

 **Romantica 123:** **Aww thanks. And yes... there will be quite a bit of hurt in this chapter. ;)**

 **RainDragon28 (reviews on chapters 1,3 &5): ****Thanks! :D Good luck with waiting. Is it not weird that an American film comes out later than most other countries in the US? And yes, there is whump ;)**

 **Calvin (Guest):** **Yeah, that would be interesting!**

 **Anyway... are you guys ready for the climax? ;)**

* * *

"Almost, up and bit, up a bit. The dragon is probably taller than you. Yup, that's it, perfect," Hiccup smiled. "Now turn your head away. That will show the dragon that you trust him or her. In most cases, that will do the trick. You should feel the dragon rest his snout on your hand. You can then scratch him, talk to him and I'd name him if I were you. That strengthens the bond." Sigurd nodded, still imitating the position Hiccup had shown him.

"You can open your eyes now," He commented. "So take me through the steps one more time,"

"Ok, you first show the dragon your weapons, you drop them and get them as far away from you as possible to make yourself unarmed. That shows him you don't want to hurt him. Then you do that hand position thingy to show trust and if that works, you pet it and name it."

"Pretty much, yeah. Normally in training, we get you a dragon to try it out on since it's much harder in practice than in theory. But that's impossible at the moment, so we're just going to have to pray it works."

"I sure hope it works," Sigurd nodded.

"Hope what works?" Came the voice of the buyer, and both their smiles fell in an instant. _He hasn't been listening to our conversation, has he?_ Hiccup almost broke out in a sweat, and he could see Sigurd looked just as horrified.

"Get up," He ordered Sigurd as two guards opened his cell and dragged him out, holding him by the wrists. Two other guards did the same to Hiccup, and he prayed to the gods they couldn't feel how fast his pulse was racing. He watched as their captor slipped a burlap sack over Sigurd's head and a few seconds later another one slipped over his face too. Trying as much as possible to stay alert and not scream in pain as the guards jolted his body, Hiccup was led off the ship and onto land. He heard Viggo mutter something angrily to Ryker, heard the very quiet beating of wings from far above him and prayed that it was only his attentive ears that could hear it. Soon enough, he could hear metal gates cranking open as they descended into what he presumed to be the arena. The sound of metal slamming against rock caused him to wince and suddenly, the sacks were whipped off and Hiccup blinked at the sudden burst of light. His wrists were released and he realised that he was in a cell that was cut out of the stone wall. He rushed to the thick metal gate just as it was slammed shut and looked out, noticing how lost Sigurd looked standing in the middle of the arena.

"The challenger from the slave market will go first in training a Monstrous Nightmare," The voice of the buyer boomed through the arena. _Oh, Thor... what a great choice of dragon to train on the first try..._ Hiccup shut his eyes for a moment, pleading the gods to help the slave he had come to like and sympathise with during the journey on the ship. Not a few seconds later, the fiery beast leapt out of its cage in the side of the arena, reminding Hiccup of his initiation exam. The creature's eyes darted around, shooting at every person in range. Flames licked the fire-proof metal that formed the gate to Hiccup's cell, causing him to stumble backwards, but the blaze quickly smouldered away. He saw Throk's fists clench at the sight of the scars on the dragon's body and he couldn't help but hate the buyer even more.

Sigurd backed away slowly as the yellow and orange reptile stalked towards him. He stole an urgent glance at Hiccup, who nodded encouragingly in an attempt to tell him to follow the steps. The slave quickly pulled a hidden knife out of his boot, causing the dragon to growl fiercely. He flung the dagger a few metres away from him, then froze in hope that the beast would calm down. It didn't though, snapping at him as if trying to eat his limbs off. He stole a panicked glance at Hiccup, who gestured to the weapon on the floor. Sigurd obeyed, skidding onto his side and kicking it to the other side of the arena. The dragon instantly calmed down, looking curiously at the slave. He glanced nervously glanced at Hiccup again, who smiled and nodded. Sigurd turned his head away and reached his hand out and Hiccup could see his hands trembling as he bit his lip anxiously. The Monstrous Nightmare cocked his head to the side, surprised and after a few seconds, much to both Hiccup and Sigurd's relief, it rested its snout on his hands.

Hiccup glanced up to where the 'audience' sat, noting how even Throk looked surprised. And Viggo… well, he looked like he had just seen wings sprout out of a human's back. Guards flooded into the arena the second the dragon was calm, and Sigurd took a worried glance behind him before scratching the dragon under the chin and whispering in his ear. But the Nightmare didn't appear to be listening, as it lit itself on fire, much to Sigurd's agony as the skin of his fingers were burnt. Hiccup had to bite his lip to stop himself for calling out Sigurd's name in anguish, knowing in the back of his mind it would throw away the plan to get out…

A mighty roar echoed through the arena and soldiers streamed through the entrance and ran towards the dragon, which had blackened a large area of the stone wall of the arena with its kerosene fire.

"Calm the beast down!" The buyer's voice boomed as he strolled into the arena, scowling.

"Ember!" Sigurd raised his hands up in an attempt to get the dragon's attention, only to be snapped at. He screamed, clutching his hand tightly as scarlet coloured liquid stained his skin. That was when Hiccup noticed a human finger – Sigurd's _finger –_ in the creature's mouth. He gaped, watching in horror as soldiers knocked his friend to the ground while restraining the furious Monstrous Nightmare. He lay in the foetal position, hissing in pain as the man Hiccup had come to loath gave him a harsh kick in the back.

"Get him into the cell. And get Viggo's contestant out," Hiccup stood in shock, hardly noticing that he was being shoved into the middle of the arena. Before he knew it, the gate had been opened and out came another blazing Monstrous Nightmare… which appeared to be ten times angrier than the one Sigurd had to train… _Sigurd…_ He glanced worriedly at the cell he had sat in minutes before to see his friend, who was in the process of ripping off part of his tunic to create a make-shift bandage. But he couldn't focus on that, so instead, he decided to focus on the dragon he should be training- _wow… I've never seen a Monstrous Nightmare in that colour… the green and brown blend perfectly – oh no!_ Dumb-founded, Hiccup stared at the dragon that was rushing towards him, until a burning hot stream of fire that nearly singed the ends of his hair awoke him into to reality. He panicked, realising that the plan he had taught Sigurd would not work for him… not with a dragon this angry. Besides, he didn't have any weapons on him. _New plan, new plan, new plan!_

He ducked to dodge another burst of fire, sprinting to the right. Ignoring the painful screams of protest his back sent to his brain, he continued running, allowing the furious dragon to chase him. _Almost there, almost there… NOW!_ He sprinted towards the Nightmare, much to the beast's surprise, jumping, grabbing its horns and slamming them into the ground. He could hear the ripple of gasps from the audience, but ignored it, smiling as he felt the dragon's muscles relax beneath him. He stepped off the dragon, taking the opportunity to raise his hand to its snout.

"Camouflage," Hiccup smiled as the dragon accepted the respectful gesture. "That's what I'll call you." _Now to escape!_ His brain reminded him, and with urgency he whispered into his ear. "Ok, Camouflage, I've got a plan to get out of here. When I say 'now', fly up, fire at the audience and the guards coming this way, dodge the arrows-" He was cut off as a stampede of guards ran towards them. _It's now or never._ "NOW!" Camouflage obeyed, beating its wings and levitating into the air. Hiccup ducked to avoid the fire and wind created by the dragon's wings, and couldn't help but smile as Astrid's war cry could be heard from just outside the arena. He glanced towards Sigurd, who was being helped out of the cell by a Defender of the Wing. Fire and metal were everywhere as Hunters came towards him. He kicked and punched, doing the best he could despite being entirely unarmed. _Wait… Sigurd's dagger!_ He glanced around hurriedly, spotting the weapon glimmering with the reflection of flames. He dodged a mace aimed at his head and made a break for it, stumbling towards it. Time seemed to slow down as he ran.

 _Almost there! Almost the- what in the name of Thor?!_ Just as he reached down the get it, another hand snatched it from under him. Hiccup tumbled onto the floor, then looked up at the thief. _Viggo?! He's always staying in the shadows, not attacking directly!_ He didn't have time to think it through though, as his enemy stabbed the knife into the stone. Hiccup dodged, getting up quickly. The Grimborn's hand remained on the hilt of the dagger which was wedged into the ground, giving Hiccup the chance to kick him with his prosthetic. Viggo rolled over, gripping his stomach in pain for a few seconds before pushing himself up, only to be pushed down again but Hiccup's knee which pinned him as he held the dagger to his throat.

"Finally going for the offensive, huh," Viggo muttered under his breath as he barred his teeth in frustration. Hiccup growled at his opponent but yelped in surprise as Viggo pushed him off and tried to pin him to the ground. Hiccup rolled over, avoiding his grip and standing up. His enemy did too, and for a few seconds, the pair just glared at each other, until the Dragon Hunters lunged at him, thrusting the knife towards his side. Hiccup evaded, side-stepping and retaliating with a punch aimed at the stomach. But Viggo grabbed his arm before he could hit, swivelling him around with such force that he almost fell to the floor. He recovered quickly, but then Viggo's arm wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side and rendering him helpless, just like Ryker had done in the kidnapping that got them into all this mess.

"Dragon Riders!" Viggo shouted from behind him. He winced at the feeling of the metal dagger pressed against his throat. "Stand down or your leader, ally and heir dies." As if sprayed with Flightmare mist, everyone fighting froze for a few seconds in surprise.

"You wouldn't," Astrid said in reply as she kicked away the soldier she had been fighting. Venom dripped off every syllable, and if looks could kill, Viggo would be dead a hundred times over.

"Oh, I will." Hiccup could almost feel Viggo smirking as he pressed the dagger harder until it broke through the skin and drew the first drop of blood. Astrid's look of horror was like a punch in the gut to the Dragon Rider and he watched as one by one the weapons dropped to the ground.

"Good choice," Viggo's voice boomed in his ear. But something caught Hiccup's attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned as subtly as possible to see Throk, who was running towards them with a determined scowl on his face.

"No-" He tried to shout, but the second the word left his mouth, Throk slammed into them and pain exploded in his neck. Viggo lay on the floor, pinned underneath the aggressive ginger-haired Defender. But Hiccup didn't notice as he stood on all fours, gasping as blood gushed onto the floor. His breathing quickened and he reached his hand up to the source of the agony. He gasped. _My throat is slit. My. Throat. Is. Slit._ He pressed his already red-stained hands against the wound on the side of his neck to try and stop the surge of scarlet fluid.

"Hiccup!" He heard Astrid's voice coming closer and closer but his world was swirling. He was panicking, gasping as blood seeped through his fingers and onto the rock beneath him and his trouser. He felt her soft arms around him but black spots were covering his vision.

"Stay with us! Hiccup!" Astrid screamed, clearly panicking just as much as he was. But the next thing he registered was his back hitting the stone floor and his eyes sliding shut.

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't kill me for dropping you off the cliff! Please leave me a review to let me know what you think, and thank you to those who have been reviewing so far, you've made writing so far so much more enjoyable. Anyway, school has started again, so the next (and maybe last) chapter may take longer than a few days, but I hope you guys survive and understand. Until then, enjoy yourselves!**

 **~httydfangirl123**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hellooooooo! I apologise for the amount of time you had to wait, as I said I've got school now, and on top of that I'm writing this from my bed because I got ill again... But I'm almost better so no worries. I hope I've made up for it with a long chapter, though this is the last one. Anyway, reviews:**

 **ThePhoenixGhirl:** **This made me laugh SO HARD! XD And luckily, he didn't quite kill him yet...**

 **CzarnyKot356:** **Ah yes. Well I did quite an amount of research on the topic of throat slitting (let's just hope my parents don't see the search history XD) and although the likelihood of bleading to death is high, it is not definite. It depends on what gets cut open. If the voice box is affected or other organs in the front of the throat, the risk of drowning in your own blood is high. If you hit the artery in the side of your neck then you need compression and stitches almost immediately because of the blood pressure, but on the off-chance that it's the vein that gets cut open instead of the artery, the chances of survive increase my a lot (and this is what has happened to Hiccup). As long as the blood flow is slowed and the victim doesn't lose too much blood, they can survive for a lot longer than you'd think. However, there is a little bit of dramatic license in here (if you don't know that is you can google it), but that was hard to avoid since I'm not a medical expert etc.**

 **Massive HTTYD Fan:** **OMG thank you so much for this review, it made me laugh so hard XD**

 **Danaud64:** **;) I do hope you have survived the week. Here's the next chapter!**

 **Nishnibbles:** **I will come and help you from the cliff in a bit... just let me write some panic and pain first ;)**

 **IAmHelenOfTroy:** **Yup... :D**

 **RainDragon28:** **You alright over there? ;P**

 **SkyDreamer12: Yes I am evil aren't I? :P I'm going to see HTTYD3 this Saturday :D EEEE I can't wait**

 **LunaRWBY: Don't worry... Hiccup won't die... you'll see...**

 **Romantica 123:** **So um... are you reading this? Or is your corpse reading this?**

 **Calvin:** **Yes, he will be able to talk eventually. His voice box has not been affected.**

 **Anyway... here is the last chapter!**

* * *

"Hiccup!"

"Stay with us, stay with us!"

"I'm sorry…"

"What do I do?!"

"We have to stop the blood flow!"

"Put pressure on it!"

"I am!"

"More!"

"That'll hurt him!"

"It's either that or he dies of blood loss!"

"Fishlegs!"

"What, it's true!"

"Shut up! This is Hiccup's life we're talking about!"

"Get him on the back of the dragon!"

"I'll get medical supplies!"

"Do we have a needle and thread?"

"We need to get him back to Berk!"

"Isn't Berk too far?"

"We have no choice!"

"Can you do stitches?"

"Keep the pressure! Make sure he doesn't lose too much blood!"

"I'll send a Terror mail!"

"No time for that!"

"The sooner we get in the air, the better!"

Hiccup tried to open his eyes, wanting to scream at the searing, burning pain in the side of his neck. He could feel pressure being applied to it and the warm, thick blood seeping through the person's fingers. He felt dizzy and sick and weak and black spots danced in front of his vision as his squinted. He tried to readjust the position of his body but he was so low on energy that moving one millimetre exhausted him… He moaned quietly, almost wishing to go back to unconsciousness, until he heard a quiet sob.

"Hiccup…" Warm, salty tears hit his check from above and ran down his face towards his ear. He didn't have to open his eyes to know who it was.

"Astrid…" He tried to say in reply, though every cell in his neck burned in agony at any attempt to make his vocal cords work. He felt his consciousness slipping out of his grip and the dizziness made him feel like he was doing somersaults in mid-air. And just as quickly as he had come around he faded away again…

* * *

"Astrid, you're falling asleep. Should I carry him for a bit?"

"No, I'm fine. I-"

"No, Astrid, you sleep for a few hours. I'll take shift in keeping the pressure on his wound. And I've just found a thick bandage that will help slow down the blood flow."

"Oh, oh ok,"

Hiccup heard the quick beating of wings that was distinct of a Gronckle and suddenly his body was being jostled around. He hissed in pain as the hand pressing onto his wound was removed and quickly replaced by a wad of cloth.

"It's ok, Hiccup, I've got you,"

"I'm going down to the sea to wash my hands,"

"Are we going to put stitches on him before we get to Berk?" _Ugh stitches?! No, I don't want stitches!_

"Maybe, but then we'd have to stop them and Gothi might have to remove them anyway,"

"But the flight is taking hours. Is he going to be able to survive that?"

"I told you before: Gothi is the only one who can give him proper medical treatment. It the meantime it's our job to keep him alive."

"Astrid? Astrid?"

Silence fell and Hiccup could just about make out the sound of quiet snores before his awareness gave out.

* * *

When Astrid awoke again the sun was setting and the sky was painted a gorgeous mix of orange and pink. She looked around her and saw that all the other riders and Sigurd were sleeping, except Fishlegs, who was diligently pressing the wad of bandage onto Hiccup's neck. To her surprise and relief, it appeared the blood flow had slowed down, as the bandage hadn't soaked through yet. Her boyfriend was still unconscious, though she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She gazed at the horizon, gasping as she saw the familiar black spot growing in the distance.

"We're almost there! Less than an hour to go!" Astrid shouted in delight, startling Snotlout.

"Finally!" He moaned once he had recovered from his scare, and Hookfang growled in agreement. Astrid patted Toothless' head, who crooned softly and flew towards Fishlegs, who had taken the lead.

"How's he doing?" She asked, using her hand to brush Hiccup's bangs out of his face. Toothless purred sadly, big eyes looking at his injured Rider.

"He's still alive, which is a good thing. I've been checking his heartbeat every now again and it's weak but constant. Gothi should be able to get him back to full health... hopefully," Fishlegs replied with weary eyes. Astrid nodded, then looked back at Berk, wishing they were they right now and they could get all this malarkey behind them.

* * *

It was about half an hour later that they arrived on Berk, though to Astrid it felt like days.

"Fishlegs, bring Hiccup to Gothi. Snotlout, get Gobber so he can help. Ruff, Tuff, um... just stay out of trouble and help Sigurd rest his hand. I'll go inform Stoick!" Astrid ordered as they flew over Berk's docks. At any other moment, the twins would have objected to the clear disrespect in Astrid's instructions but due to the dire situation, no one made a sound as they split off their different ways. Toothless flew over the quiet village towards the Haddock house that sat on top of the hill, landing swiftly and deftly. Astrid slid off his back the second his talons hit the ground and threw the door open. Due to the early hour, the chief was sitting at the table eating but he looked up in shock and surprise when his door flew open.

"Astrid! What in the name of Thor!" He exclaimed, then noticed the alarm that was clear in her face. "What's wrong?"

"Hiccup," She blurted out noticing how she was slightly out of breath for some reason. "We just back from rescuing him from Viggo and that masked bounty hunter-"

"Is he hurt?" Stoick asked before she could finish her sentence.

"Viggo slit his throat-"

"WHAT?!" His shout was like none she had ever heard before. And she couldn't blame him really, this whole situation was a panicky mess. But she suddenly realised she hadn't mentioned he was still alive. She turned to add that but he was already out the door calling for Skullcrusher.

"Chief!" She shouted, running after him. She spotted him in the air and hurriedly mounted Toothless to follow him. "He's alive!" But no reaction came and within seconds they were landing on the platform outside Gothi's house. Stoick was the first to swing open the door but stood frozen at the entrance. Astrid ducked so she could peer past the man's large body and into the small infirmary. Hiccup lay on his back on the wooden bed, moaning in pain as Gothi threaded a needle through the skin in his neck. Gobber glanced up from where he helped hold Hiccup's head still, looking distraught.

"Hiccup..." The chief of Berk ran to the bedside and fell on his knees, delicately holding one of his hands. His eyes ran over his body, at the bandages wrapping around his bare chest and back.

"Our first rescue attempt failed because Hiccup got shot in the back by Ryker. And our second rescue attempt almost failed when Viggo held a knife to his throat…" Astrid explained sadly, trailing off at the end when the rest because unspeakable. Gothi looked up at them, pointed a long finger at Gobber, then at Stoick and Astrid. The blonde man looked at them.

"Gothi says he'll live. His recovery will be a slow one, but it will be a complete one. Yer boy got lucky, Stoick. If the knife had been a wee bit more central, he would have bled to death by now. You did a good job of keeping him alive, lass. But the old woman needs to do these stitches well if he's going to survive. You two have to go, I'm afraid. Doctor's orders." Stoick nodded sadly, relieved to hear his son would live, despite all that had happened. He stood up and put a comforting hand on his future daughter-in-law's shoulder as they walked out.

* * *

Hiccup had experienced many different ways of waking up. The twins' wake-up call, being tied up on an enemy ship in the middle of the ocean, or being drenched in water and gasping for breath after a near-death experience. But none of them compared to the constant pain of a needle piercing the skin around your slit throat over and over and over. He writhed, trying to get away but his head was being pushed down on the bed, meaning he couldn't move from his position on his side, the dagger wound facing upwards. His eyes flickered open to see Gobber standing over him with sorry eyes and hands pressing his head onto the wood. He tried to move his lips to say something, but all that came out was a strained groan of pain. The needle hit his nerves again and again and again until eventually, Hiccup decided to just close his eyes and wait for unconsciousness to take him back…

* * *

"…So Throk tried to save him, but in the process of wrestling Viggo to the ground, the knife cut Hiccup's throat open. He passed out pretty quickly and we flew him back as quickly as possible, trying to stop the blood flow with bandages." Astrid finished the story over a mug of mead in the chief's kitchen. Stoick nodded, gazing vacantly at the wooden table in thought. Suddenly a knock at the door sounded.

"Come in," The chieftain raised his voice as Tuffnut peered into the room.

"Astrid! We've been looking all over the island for you! Can you help us with Sigurd's hand?" Tuffnut marched into the house upon seeing the young warrior, followed by Ruffnut, who held a bandage over the slave's bleeding stump. Stoick's mouth fell open at the sight of the lookalike, and Sigurd met his gaze with shy eyes.

"By Odin's beard…" He muttered, making Astrid realise she hadn't introduced them.

"Chief, Sigurd. Sigurd, Stoick, chief of Berk." She said before examining where the slave's finger used to be. "Ok, Ruff get bandages. Sigurd, hold your hand up in the air until we can apply proper pressure to it." Her orders were followed, all the while Stoick watched in silence and bewilderment.

It was about an hour later that the amputation had been treated, bandages tightly wrapped around it.

"Now I guess we'll just have to wait for it to heal," Astrid said as she tied the last bandage. She paused, glancing over at the quiet chief.

"You alright, Stoick?" She asked. He nodded, then looked at Sigurd, holding his uninjured hand between his.

"Thank you for helping to save my son. Despite everything, they probably couldn't have done it without you." Sigurd smiled in reply, bowing his head respectfully.

"Thank you guys for welcoming me from your enemy's side into your own," He replied, smiling particularly at Astrid. The young maiden smiled back.

"How could we not?" She paused, her thoughts on Hiccup again. "Let's pray to Odin that Hiccup's neck heals.

* * *

It had been a few very long days since they had arrived back on Berk. Gothi had strictly forbidden anyone besides Stoick to visit him, must to Astrid's misery and frustration. She _needed_ to see him, to ask him if he was feeling better, to see his green eyes glimmer with the hope of healing, to see his lips turn up into a smile. A smile at her. She missed him, she really did. And hearing his progress from Stoick was nowhere near comparable to seeing him with her own eyes.

She sighed, jumping off Stormfly outside the Chief's house. Dawn was just breaking but despite the sky's gorgeous painting and the song of cheerful Terrible Terrors on the roof, the young maiden couldn't bring herself to smile as she opened the door to the Haddock house. Toothless lay in the corner, curled up and purring to himself quietly. Big green eyes looked up at her as she entered, gazing up at her sadly. Astrid could see his emotions mirrored her own and sighed, kneeling down beside the dragon.

"He'll be alright, Toothless. Soon enough we'll be able to see him again. And we won't let this happen to him ever again," She said comfortingly, not sure if she was talking to him or herself as she gave him a scratch behind the ear.

"Morning lass," Stoick's voice came from behind her as the man came down the stairs.

"Morning," She replied, noticing how the bags under his eyes were more accentuated than normal, most likely because of the nights he'd spent at Hiccup's side. If only she could do that too… The chieftain made his way into the kitchen, when suddenly the sound of a horn vibrated through the house, causing Toothless' ears to go up in surprise.

"Were we expecting visitors today?" Astrid called. Stoick shook his head, reappearing out of the room he'd just walked into. The three ran towards the door, the burly man calling for his dragon as he went. Astrid leapt onto Toothless, calling for Stormfly to follow as they flew down to the docks. She grasped her spyglass as they flew, holding to her eye to see… the Defenders' crest. She removed the glass from her eye, blinking for a second.

In all honesty, she didn't know how to feel about Throk. They probably wouldn't have been able to get him out of there if he hadn't helped them. Hiccup would have been a slave forever and they might never have got him back. But on the other hand, he almost got her betrothed _killed._ His irrational, reckless bravery almost lead to her lover to his bloody death. It was well-meaning and all, but did she want to trust him?

They landed on the wooden pier as the ships came into the docks, getting off their dragons and standing side by side to welcome their ally. Berkians bustled around to help with the gangway as Throk walked out, head bowed.

"Greetings Berkians. I have come to deliver my most sincere apologies for my recklessness when trying to rescue your heir. My condolences." The man said, getting down to one knee before the chief of Berk, who nodded respectfully. _Condolences… does he think Hiccup has died?_

"I have brought gifts along with me, in the hope that I can earn your respect once again. For I know that I deserve none of it after this has happened. Our Queen Mala also sends her condolences and regards for your tribe," He continued as masked Defenders marched off the ships carrying baskets of food, tools and weapons. They were placed in front of the two Berkians, who stole a quick glance at each other. _These are the kind of things you bring to the family of someone who's died…_

"Has the funeral already passed, if I may ask?" The man stood up, looking between Stoick and Astrid.

"N-no! Hiccup is alive!" Astrid replied, shocked. Throk blinked, clearly not comprehending what had just been said.

"I'm sorry, what-"

"My son is still alive, Throk. He is healing slowly, but there is no need for a funeral," Stoick repeated, placing a supportive hand on the Defender's shoulder. A wave of relief crossed his face as the man smiled.

"That is brilliant news! May I see him to apologise for the ordeal I put him through?" There was a pause, where both father and betrothed looked at each other.

"We'll have to see. We might not be allowed to see him, but come right this way." The trio started the trek up the hill, followed by Skullcrusher and an eager Toothless. Ten minutes later they were at standing on the platform outside Gothi's hut, and Stoick knocked quietly. The old lady appeared at the door, frowning disapprovingly at the large crowd of visitors.

"Gothi, Throk would like to see Hiccup so he can apologise," The chief said, placing a hand on the Defender's shoulder. Astrid ducked, trying to peer past the healer to see Hiccup. She spotted him, propped up with sandbags and pillows so that he was sitting at a 45-degree angle. His eyes were closed and stitches ran across his neck, covering parts of the scarlet red line. She looked back up at the healer, who was gesturing for Throk to come in. She hurriedly walked forward, but Stoick's arm stopped her. She glared up at him.

"Let the man speak first, you can go in after," The chief calmly said to her as the door was shut behind Throk. She huffed, turning around and sitting impatiently with her back against the wooden walls.

* * *

It was light outside when Hiccup woke up, though he was used to that by now. His sleeping cycle had been completely messed by the amount of sleep Gothi forced upon him, when all he really wanted to do is get out of bed and see Astrid and the others. His stitches were healing nicely and would continue to do that if he didn't jerk them, and his arrow wound no longer needed bandages. His father had brought him some replacement clothes and armour that he had somehow found. But still, he wasn't allowed out. Did they not trust him enough to take care of himself? It wasn't like he was asking to go straight back to the Edge or anything, all he wanted was to get out of this tiny little hut (no offence to Gothi of course) and see someone other than his father. Not that he didn't like seeing his father, but he missed the others, especially Astrid.

Which is why he was delighted when he saw people standing at the door. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes and focussed to see who it was. _Please say it's Astrid, please say it's Astrid._ But instead, a very guilty looking Throk walked in while Gothi shut the door on the rest of his visitors. He heard Astrid huff from outside, but his attention was drawn to the Defender.

"Hiccup Haddock, what a relief it is to see that you are alive. I feared that my recklessness had caused you to bleed to death." He said, kneeling down at his bedside and bowing his head. "I know that I do not deserve your trust anymore, but I hope that you can eventually forgive me-"

"Throk, if it wasn't for you, I would be a slave to that masked man right now. I may never have seen Berk or the Edge ever again! Don't worry about it, all that matters is that I'm alive, and that you helped get us to this point," Hiccup smiled comfortingly. Throk looked up surprised.

"I have not deserved your grace and forgiveness, but I will do everything possible to make it up to you, Hiccup-"

"No, Throk you don't have to,"

"It's my duty as a Defender of the Wing," He stood up, placing a hand over his heart. "I would stay longer, but I must return to tell my Queen that you are alive."

"Mala thinks I'm dead?"

"Our entire tribe did until Miss Hofferson told us that you had survived the injury. But I must go so that she can know,"

"Ok, thank you for stopping by,"

"And thank you for your forgiveness," Hiccup smiled and shook his head slightly at Throk's insisting, but said nothing as he walked out of the door. The second the door opened, though, Astrid and Toothless rushed in, stopping beside him. Toothless crooned, laying his head down his lap as the young maiden took Hiccup's hand in hers. Her eyes squeezed shut as she held back tears of relief. He squeezed her hand in reply, using his other hand to give Toothless a scratch under the chin.

"I missed you too, bud," He muttered. Movement caused him to look up, and he saw Gothi waving her stick at him and looking at Stoick, clearly demanding him to shoo them out. Hiccup gave his father a pleading glance, and he smiled, shaking his head to Gothi, who closed the door and retreated into a back room reluctantly, leaving the lovebirds and dragon alone.

Hiccup looked back at his betrothed with loving eyes, letting go off her hand to lift up her chin. Blue eyes met green as they gazed at each other.

"I missed you," Astrid whimpered quietly.

"I missed you too, milady," He smiled in return, gently pulling her head onto his chest.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again,"

"I didn't try to, but I shall do my best,"

"You're lucky you're too injured already for me to punch you," She muttered, lifting her head up so their gazes met again. She frowned, clearly trying to look angry despite the relieved smile creeping up onto her face.

"Oh come on, I know you love me," Hiccup teased, rubbing his thumb over her cheek tenderly. She opened her mouth to answer, but Hiccup stopped her. He pulled her closer, and their lips met for a sweet, tender kiss. A few seconds passed before they broke away again, looking at each other smiling.

"I couldn't imagine a world without you in it," Astrid whispered, beaming.

"I couldn't imagine a world without you in it either," He answered, pulling her back for another kiss, before muttering into her lips.

"And luckily we don't have to."

* * *

 **A/N: I think that's the most line-breaks I've ever used in one chapter. That was partly because I continuously felt the need to switch perspectives, and partly... well, that's just the way I wanted to tell the story. Did you like it? Please let me know in the reviews. I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I have and I hope to you see you on another story. :)**

 **~httydfangirl123**

 **P.S.: To those of you who follow me or want to keep up with my future stories, I have a message. As you probably know, I'm back to school now so I don't have the time to write and upload. The next school holiday is in February, but then I'm going to England for the week. The next school holiday is in April, so you won't see another multi-chapter fic on here until then, unfortunately. That doesn't mean, however, that you won't see any of me for 4 months. I have some one-shots in store for you, one is the first fanfiction I've ever written and completed that I found a few weeks back. It is not my normal writing quality since I wrote it about a year and half ago, but I think you will enjoy reading it nonetheless. I also wrote a ridiculous, fluffy Hiccstrid one-shot that I wrote when I was so tired that I was practically drunk. Again, not my normal standard, but enjoyable to read nonetheless. I will post one in two weeks and one in February. Question is, which one do you guys want first? I have a poll on my profile, and I'd much appreciate it if you would tell me which one you want first. In two weeks I'll close it and publish the most popular one.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you in a few weeks! Byee!**


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